PG dental students in State forced to cough up fee hike
The Post Graduate dental students from Telangana are made to pay more compared to the students from other states, thanks to the GOs 107,131 and 20 issued by the state government in 2023 allowing the private colleges to hike the fee.
Hyderabad: The Post Graduate dental students from Telangana are made to pay more compared to the students from other states, thanks to the GOs 107,131 and 20 issued by the state government in 2023 allowing the private colleges to hike the fee.
While the Telangana students are paying between Rs 5.75 lakh to Rs 7.75 lakh for category A seats, their counterparts in Andhra Pradesh were paying between Rs 3.41 lakh to Rs 4.96 lakh for the same category seat. The PG students of dental colleges were asked to pay the balance fee hiked in 2023 after government issued orders including GO 107 issued on July 28, 2023, GO 131 issued on August 18, 2023 and GO 20 issued on April 4, 2020. The first year students were asked to pay the full fee. The second year students asked to pay 40 per cent of the fee. This comes after the High Court refused to interfere in the issue.
Dr Manzoor, the president of All India Dental and Surgeons Association said that the fee hike had caused the financial burden and challenges arising due to the recent fee hike for medical courses in private institutions. “We kindly request the health minister to explore the possibility of repealing GOs and issue a new GO that aligns the fee structure for Category A and B seats with those of neighbouring states. This will ensure parity and reduce the financial stress on students while maintaining uniformity in medical education fees across the region,” said Dr Manzoor.
The Association President further said that in case the repeal of GO 107 was not feasible, the government can direct the Advocate General (AG) to represent the concerns of students in the ongoing court proceedings. Active support from the state would reflect the government’s commitment to protecting students’ interests and ensuring affordable education. “We request the government to mandate stipends for postgraduate students in private dental and medical colleges. Such a provision would significantly alleviate the financial burden on students, allowing them to focus on their education and professional development,” said Dr Manzoor.
