SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, March 14: There are two private medical colleges in Jharkhand- Manipal Tata Medical College (MTMC) Jamshedpur and Laxmi Chandravanshi Medical College Hospital (LCMCH) in Vishrampur (Palamu). But, ironically, their fee structure is in sharp contrast from each other.
The annual tuition fee of MTMC is Rs 12,06,750 for general and Rs 8,14,500 for reserved category while the students of LCMCH Vishrampur (which has got permission for 100 MBBS seats from 2021-22 academic session) have to pay Rs 10,25,000.
Interestingly, the tuition fee of state government-run medical colleges is merely Rs. 6,000 for boys. Girl students are exempted from the tuition fees.
The authorities of MTMC and LCMCH said that they have yet to get the official direction for 50% seat reservation in private medical colleges as per the decision of the central government.
As per the fee structure of LCMCH Vishrampur Principal Dr RK Srivastava given to the Additional Chief Secretary (health), the institution besides the annual tuition fee has a hostel cum mess charge of Rs 2,00,000 per year.
But at the same time, Manipal Tata Medical College has Rs 2,44,000 for AC equipped single occupancy, Rs 2,11,000 for AC double occupancy, Rs 2,07,500 for non- AC single occupancy and Rs 1,80,500 for non- AC double occupancy.
However, MTMC refunds the hostel deposit of Rs 15,000 of AC room and Rs 7,500 of non- AC after the completion of the course.
In the government-owned medical colleges of the state, Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical Colleges Hospital and three others have a hostel fee of Rs 6,000. At Shahid Nirmal Mahto Medical College Dhanbad, a student has to pay Rs 4,800 only.
Notably, LCMCH Vishrampur has Rs 2 lakh as caution money that will be refunded to students after completion of the MBBS course. But MTMC has only Rs 10,000.
At the same time, the government medical colleges take caution money only Rs 5,000 while Rajendra Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) Ranchi has only Rs 1,000.
At the time of admission in government medical colleges, only Rs 9,180 is realized from boys and Rs 6,180 from girls including one-year tuition fee but LCMCH takes Rs 50,000 alone for first-time admission.
Besides it, LCMCH also takes additional Rs 1 lakh as development and miscellaneous charge every year.
In Manipal Tata Medical College, 25 seats are reserved for Jharkhand but students have to pay higher than any government institution.
However, both private medical colleges have uniformity in the examination fee. They take Rs 3,000 as an examination fee that is paid to the concerned university.
