Hyderabad: Private medical colleges in the state want a bank guarantee for the second and third years during the first round of counselling of post-graduate medical students and are not allowing the second round of counselling to be completed.
Students who want to look at other options in the second round of counselling say that they are being forced to pay fees and also submit bank guarantees in the first round of counselling itself.
According to the rules, the bank guarantee can be given after the counselling process is over. Students have approached the Telangana Junior Doctors Association to help them resolve this problem as private medical colleges are not coming clearly on the rules.
The bank guarantee for three years is Rs 7 lakh which is a fixed deposit which has to be given to the college.
Students have called the helpline of the Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences (KNRUHS) to get clarity on the bank guarantee. The doctors’ association says that the bank guarantee has to be paid only after completing all the counselling rounds and not during the first round of counselling.
The bank guarantee is mandatory for students since 2003 according to court orders. Dr P.S. Vijayender, chairman, Telangana Junior Doctors Association (TJUDA) said, “Asking for the bank guarantee when the counselling session is in progress is illegal. To confirm the seat, first year fees can be taken. But demanding the bank guarantee is not right.” He said students must be allowed to explore their options.
“Private medical colleges are not acting according to the rules. We want the government to look into these unlawful demands. Students are being told that if they do not give a bank guarantee with the fees, the seat has to be vacated.”
He alleged that private medical colleges were not following the rules set by government and the KNRUHS must insist that private medical colleges stick to them.
During the time of admission, students are being forced to pay money which is often not returned to them, Dr Vijayender alleged. The TJUDA has asked KNRUHS to look into the complaints of the post-graduate students and assist them.
A medical student said that students have to arrange fees for the first year and bank guarantee. Colleges are also demanding hostel fees even if the student does not want to stay in the hostel.
“The government must look into the manner in which private medical colleges are extracting money from students. The helpline must aid rather than just say what is the rule and what the MCI has suggested.”
Dr Bhaskar Rao, president of the private medical colleges association, said that the court had ordered payment of bank guarantee at one time. “The bank guarantee is required to be given to the college as per the orders of the court. The students give it promising to complete the entrance course and internship. There is no extra money taken from any of the students.”
The problem is that students are not given the money and if they get a government college or a better college in the next round of counselling, they find it difficult to opt for it.
