NMC Reiterates Before Kerala HC: Medical Colleges Cannot Levy MBBS Fees Beyond Academic Course

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has reiterated before the Kerala High Court that medical colleges can charge MBBS tuition fees only for the prescribed four-and-a-half years of academic study and cannot collect fees for periods beyond the notified course duration.

According to a report by The Times of India, the submission came in response to a petition filed by the Kerala Private Medical College Management Association, which has challenged the Commission's direction requiring colleges to refund fees collected for an additional six months.

The NMC told the court that it alone is empowered to prescribe the duration of the MBBS course under the National Medical Commission Act, 2019. Citing Sections 10 and 24 of the Act along with the Competency Based Medical Education (CBME) Guidelines, 2024, framed under the Graduate Medical Education Regulations (GMER), the Commission said the MBBS programme consists of 54 months (four-and-a-half years) of academic study followed by one year of compulsory rotating medical internship (CRMI). Since the internship does not involve academic teaching, colleges cannot charge tuition fees for that period.

As reported by The Times of India, the Commission also relied on the interim directions in the Abhishek Yadav v. Union of India (WP No. 730 of 2022) case, which dealt with issues relating to unpaid stipends and internship-related charges. It further referred to the judgments in T.M.A. Pai Foundation v. State of Karnataka, Islamic Academy of Education v. State of Karnataka and P. A. Inamdar v. State of Maharashtra, which held that educational fee structures must be reasonable, transparent, non-exploitative, and proportionate to the academic facilities and services provided.

The NMC maintained that charging fees beyond the prescribed academic duration, when no corresponding academic instruction is imparted, is inconsistent with these legal principles.

It also stated that all medical colleges, institutions, and universities must comply with the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, relevant regulations, and judicial directions, warning that any non-compliance could invite action under the applicable statutory and regulatory provisions.

Published on: Sunday, July 05, 2026, 10:40 AM IST