Several medical colleges in the state of Karnataka have lowered their fees for MBBS students under the NRI (Non-Resident Indian) and management quota this year. The average reduction in annual fees is around Rs 5-8 lakh. This decrease in fees is attributed to a recent notification by the National Medical Commission (NMC), which requires colleges to fill all MBBS seats through online counseling rather than the physical process.

Previously, the Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) conducted physical counseling for all seats, including those under the NRI and management quota. If any seats remained vacant after the counseling, colleges were allowed to admit students of their choice, regardless of their rankings, as long as they cleared the NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test).

However, with the NMC notification, admissions to all MBBS seats will now be conducted solely by KEA. Many colleges were concerned that a significant number of seats would remain unoccupied if the fees remained high. The reduction in fees aims to address these concerns.

For example, the Akash Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, which charged Rs 40 lakh for an MBBS seat under the NRI/management quota last year, is now charging Rs 32 lakh. K Muniraju, the college founder, stated that this reduction is due to the new notification requiring all seats to be filled through KEA’s online counseling process.

Oxford Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre has also reduced its fees by Rs 3-5 lakhs.

According to Narasimha Raju, the chairman of Oxford College, private and deemed-to-be universities have increased the number of seats, allowing them to keep fees for NRI/other category students low. However, colleges affiliated with state universities have different fee structures for different categories, necessitating higher fees for NRI and other category students to balance the costs.

MJ Mohan, the chairman of MVJ Medical College and Research Hospital, stated that their fees have decreased from Rs 45 lakh to Rs 36 lakh. Every year, they quote higher fees for NRI quota seats, which are not filled through government counseling, creating an opportunity for agents to exploit the situation. Many students end up paying an ‘advance’ to these agents but fail to secure a seat.

MK Ramesh, the vice-chancellor of Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, noted that with the increase in the number of medical seats over the years, it is natural for fees to decrease.