Context:

• Recently, the Government of Punjab decided to hike the fee for MBBS course in its medical colleges by 80%
• The move invited sharp criticism from all quarters
• In addition to it being anti-poor, the decision has been criticized due to its timing ie during the coronavirus pandemic when doctors are fighting at the frontline.

Highlights:

• The fee for full MBBS course in government medical colleges in Punjab has been hiked from Rs 4.4 lakh to Rs 7.8 lakh, an increase of 77.2 per cent.
• In 2010, the fee was merely Rs. 13,000 per annum.
• At present, it has reached Rs. 1.56 lakh per annum.
• With this move, medical education in Punjab has become more expensive than all its neighboring states.
• In Haryana, the fee ranges between Rs 30,000 and 50,000.
• In Rajasthan, the annual fee is Rs. 33,500.
• In Himachal Pradesh, the annual fee is Rs. 60,000.
• Fee for government quota MBBS seats in private colleges has been increased from Rs 13.4 lakh to Rs 18.6 lakh, an increase of 39 percent.
• The fee for management quota in private colleges, has been hiked from Rs 40.3 lakh to Rs 47 lakh, an increase of nearly 17 per cent.
• The fee hike will not be retrospective and will be applicable only for admissions into the MBBS course from this session.

Medical Education Institutions in Punjab

• Three government medical colleges in the state —

1. Patiala 225 MBBS seats
2. Amritsar 250 MBBS seats
3. Faridkot 125 MBBS seats

• From this session, the Government Medical College at Mohali will also offer 100 MBBS seats, taking the total MBBS seats in four government colleges in the state to 700.
• Six private medical colleges in the state have a total of 775 seats

1. Christian Medical College, Ludhiana: 75 seats
2. Dayanand Medical College, Ludhiana: 100 seats
3. Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences, Jalandhar: 150 seats
4. Adesh Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Bathinda: 150 seats
5. Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Amritsar: 150 seats
6. Gian Sagar Medical College, Banur: 150 seats

Arguments in favour:

• People are ready to pay in lakhs for admission in schools, so spending it on MBBS course shouldn't be a problem either.
• Government needs funds to provide good infrastructure.
• Government needs funds to hire best faculty and impart quality education.
• Medical education minister has clarified that the hike is chiefly due to increase in cost of new equipment required for medical education.
• According to him, the decision to hike the fee was “well thought-out” as per the recommendations by a committee of experts. And that the hike was affected after a long time.

Arguments against:

• Makes quality education elitist.
• Medical fraternity has alleged that the move is aimed at benefitting private players.
• Takes medical education out of reach of marginal, middle and lower middle class families.
• Critics have also lashed out at the decision to increase the fee at a time when doctors are at the frontline fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
• At a time of pandemic when health sector should be a priority, it is a bad decision.
• Punjab is already short of specialist doctors. The fee hike would make things worse.
• Protesters are pointing out the Supreme Court judgments which say that fee can be hiked once in three years and the hike cannot be more than 15 per cent.