Vadodara: About 10 members of the Nationalist Student Union of India (NSUI) were arrested by the police from Gotri Medical College in Vadodara. The NSUI workers were demonstrating against the significant hike in MBBS fees by GMERS colleges across the state. The protest escalated when NSUI workers threw fake currency notes at the dean of Gotri Medical College, shouting slogans such as ‘BJP Hai Hai’. In response, the police detained more than ten NSUI members involved in the demonstration.
In their representation to the dean, NSUI emphasised that the government had established GMERS Medical Colleges in 13 districts in 2010, with an investment of approximately Rs 8,500 crore, to ensure that students from Gujarat could pursue medical education without the burden of exorbitant fees. However, on June 28, the state government unexpectedly increased the fees of these colleges. NSUI criticised this decision, arguing that it contradicts the government’s professed commitment to affordable education.
Details of fee hike
The fee hike includes an increase in the annual fee for the government quota in GMERS Medical Colleges from Rs 3.30 lakh to Rs 5.50 lakh. The fee for the management quota has surged from Rs 9.75 lakh to Rs 17 lakh, and the NRI quota fee has jumped from 22,000 US dollars to 25,000 US dollars annually. NSUI contends that these increases are excessive, noting that the cost of completing an MBBS program in neighbouring states remains lower.
Sources said that the annual operating cost of 13 GMERS medical colleges and their affiliated hospitals was around Rs 1,168 crore last year, while the fee income was Rs 423.74 crore. However, the fee hike was necessary to offset the financial shortfall. The NSUI argues that the fee hike is unjust at a time when the seats have been reduced and students are getting seats at much lesser prices in neighbouring Maharashtra.
NSUI president Amar Vaghela's statement
NSUI president Amar Vaghela stated, "Today we protested at Gotri Medical College against the fee hike in GMERS colleges and demanded a reduction in fees. This government is anti-student. If the fee is not reduced, we will escalate our agitation."
Mayur Adalja, dean of Gotri Medical College, expressed his disapproval of the NSUI’s protest methods but conveyed that the government would consider the representation. He stated, "I did not find the way NSUI workers presented their case appropriate. The representation of workers and conveyance to the government will be considered, and the government will make a decision in this matter."
