SC/ST medical students pressured to pay for internship year

Despite clear rules prohibiting self-financing medical colleges from collecting tuition fees for the fifth year of MBBS/BDS (internship year), several institutions are reportedly demanding payment from Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe students, withholding hall tickets for the upcoming fourth-year examinations if they fail to comply.

The move has triggered outrage among students, parents and activists, who call it a blatant violation of fee regulations.

The controversy has surfaced even after the Directorate of Medical Education (DME) and Research issued a clear directive on November 4, 2025. In a communication, the DME circulated the minutes of the fee fixation committee meeting to deans and principals of self-financing medical and dental colleges, as well as State universities under its control.

The committee categorically stated that institutions are permitted to collect the fee only for the 4.5 years of the MBBS course, and that no fee shall be collected during the one-year internship period.

However, a section of students and parents said that certain colleges have demanded payment for the internship year. In a complaint to the DME, they said MBBS/BDS students are studying in private medical institutions under the Post Matric Scholarship scheme (covers tuition fees for eligible SC/ST students).

In several colleges, fourth-year students are being pressured to pay the fifth-year tuition fee, and are not being permitted to write their fourth-year examinations unless the fee is paid.

“Government scholarships cover the tuition fee for students from SC/ST communities studying medicine. Yet, nearly a week ago, fourth year students were asked to pay the fee for the internship year. The tuition under the management quota is ₹13.50 lakh. How can I arrange such a huge amount when the rules are clearly laid down?” a parent asked.

Another parent said that examinations are set to begin in a few days, but students have not received their hall tickets, causing stress. “Some colleges do not follow the rules. At a private university, the tuition fee under the management quota is ₹16.20 lakh and is covered by the scholarship. However, the college has demanded and collected an additional ₹3 lakh per year from us, without issuing receipts. Many of us have taken loans to arrange for these funds,” another parent said. Many parents said students are reluctant to complain fearing college action.

N. Bharathan, State organiser, Ambedkar Kalvi Nootrandu Iyakkam, said many self-financing medical colleges routinely violate government norms. “Delays in disbursing the post matric scholarship disbursal often lead to discrimination against SC/ST students. The State government should ensure that these private institutions comply with its orders, and a committee should be formed to directly receive grievances from students and look at excess amounts being collected from students,” he said.

DME officials said the complaint received from the SC/ST – MBBS/BDS Students’ Parents Association has been forwarded to the chairman of the Committee on Fixation of Fee for necessary action.