Experts Cite High Fees And Increase In Medical Seats; Private Colleges Seek Extension Of Counselling Dates
Three rounds of counselling followed by a mop-up round were going on: Reports
HYDERABAD: With 180 of the 781 MBBS seats under the NRI (Category C) quota still vacant in Telangana, the Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences (KNRUHS) is likely to reopen counselling, giving students another opportunity to secure admission for the 2026–27 academic year, sources said.
Experts attributed the unfilled seats to the high fee structure under the NRI quota and the increase in the number of medical colleges and MBBS seats. Telangana has crossed the 10,000-seat mark in MBBS, expanding the options available to students. The state has 36 government and 29 private medical colleges. According to sources, filling seats has become challenging even under the convener quota, with colleges facing difficulties in attracting students to all available seats.
Three rounds of counselling followed by a mop-up round were going on. Sources said another opportunity to exercise web options could help fill the remaining seats. The association of private medical colleges has written to the National Medical Commission (NMC) and KNRUHS seeking an extension of counselling dates.
The annual fee under the NRI quota is reportedly between ₹23 lakh and ₹25 lakh, with hostel expenses costing an additional ₹1.5 lakh. The financial burden has made some parents hesitant to commit to medical education, experts said.
Earlier, some families relied on financial support from relatives settled abroad, with parents planning to repay the amount through investments or property purchases in India. However, uncertainty in the real estate market had made families more cautious about taking on such a large financial commitment, a source said.
Dr G. Srinivas, a member of the Telangana Medical Council (TGMC), said the demand for NRI quota seats had declined as the number of MBBS seats in the state crossed 10,000.
“Parents are comparing the cost of medical education with the returns from other professional courses. IIT and engineering graduates are getting packages of ₹20 lakh to ₹30 lakh, while doctors joining as duty medical officers earn around ₹25,000 to ₹30,000 a month. Even with recommendations, the salary may not exceed ₹40,000,” he said.
Dr Srinivas also called for the Telangana Admission and Fee Regulatory Committee (TAFRC) to examine the fee structure charged by private medical colleges.
“TAFRC must ask why colleges are charging ₹23 lakh to ₹25 lakh a year and examine how much is being spent on students, infrastructure and faculty. The committee should review the expenditure and submit its recommendations so that more students can pursue medical education and the state can produce more doctors,” he said.