Karnataka Cracks Down on Exorbitant Nursing College Fees

Karnataka Medical Education Minister Dr. Sharan Patil has ordered a fee regulatory committee to address the high fees charged by nursing colleges. The committee will inspect and regulate fee structures to alleviate students' financial burdens and ensure institutions provide adequate facilities.

In a decisive move to address escalating fees imposed by nursing colleges across the state, Karnataka Medical Education & Skill Development Minister Dr. Sharan Prakash Patil has ordered the formation of a fee regulatory committee. This committee will monitor and regulate fee structures, aiming to relieve financial burdens on students. The announcement was made during a review meeting of nursing institutions held at Patil's Vikasa Soudha office on Monday.

The five-member regulatory committee, led by the Joint Secretary of the Medical Education Department, will scrutinize fee structures. Any nursing college found charging beyond government-prescribed limits risks having its Essential Certificate & Feasibility Certificate (EC&FC) withdrawn. Current fee structures include Rs 10,000 for government quota students, Rs 1 lakh for management quota students, and Rs 1.40 lakh for non-Karnataka students.

With 35,000 seats across 611 nursing colleges in the state, Dr. Patil recently rejected a 20 percent fee hike request from nursing college management. The committee's oversight extends to both B.Sc. Nursing and General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) programs. Additionally, Dr. Patil instructed district officials to inspect facilities at GNM colleges and submit reports within a month. B.Sc. Nursing colleges will undergo a similar inspection led by the Director of Medical Education, Dr. B.L. Sujatha Rathod. The minister emphasized the need for adequate facilities and warned that colleges failing to meet standards could lose their permissions.

Dr. Patil also mandated that nursing institutions operate exclusively nursing courses, revoking permissions for those offering multiple courses in the same premises. Key officials, including Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences Vice-Chancellor Dr. Ramesh, Registrar PR Shivaprasad and Joint Secretary (Medical Education) VenkateshMurthy, attended the meeting.

(With inputs from agencies.)