Violating the fee structure set by the government, private medical colleges affiliated to  the Institute of Medicine (IoM) under the Tribhuvan University have demanded an additional Rs1 million from students who have enrolled in the MBBS programme.

The colleges have asked even students, who had secured government scholarships, to deposit an additional Rs500,000.

The government has set the fees at Rs3.8 million for the medical colleges inside Kathmandu Valley and Rs4.2 million for the colleges outside the Valley. Of the seven private medical colleges affiliated to the TU, one is in the Capital while the rest are based outside Kathmandu.

Gandaki Medical Colleges, Kaski has demanded an additional Rs1.1 million from students, while Chitwan Medical College, Chitwan is asking for Rs1 million more, students complained.

The Post has obtained a copy of a voucher of these medical colleges. In one of the payment slips, a student has deposited Rs468,200 in National Medical College, Birjung.

Similarly, another student had deposited Rs374,000 in Gandaki Medical College. All of these colleges are said to have asked the students to deposit over Rs600,000 in multiple instalments over the next two years. The students are charged under various headings such as IoM charge, TU exam fees, library fee, lab charge, hospital fee, mess fee and affiliation charges.

A student who has enrolled into Gandaki said that the college had asked the students to stay mum about the extra charges.

“You will be studying in our college for the next five years. It’d be better if you keep quiet on the issue. Practical marks are in our hands,” the student quoting a college administrator as telling him over the phone.

Recently, students resorted to a protest after a majority of the medical schools affiliated to the TU began taking extra charges.

The students pursuing an MBBS degree in different private medical colleges took out a rally on Monday in protest of exorbitant fees they are charging under various headings.

The IoM has already clarified that the private medical colleges do not have the right to charge additional fees to students. The fees the colleges claim to be charging for are already included in the fee ceiling set by the government, the IoM said.

“It is illegal to charge additional money against the students,” said IoM Dean Dr Jagdish Agrawal. “We have already forwarded the complaints to the TU Central Office that takes action for any defiance of its rule and directives.”

Meanwhile, Dr Govinda KC, an activist who has staged multiple hunger strikes demanding reforms in medical education, has demanded stern action against the medical schools who are charging additional amount from the students. Dr KC said he would be forced to launch another protest if the government turns a deaf ear to the issue.