Govt. turns down request to regulate Cuddalore medical college fees
The Hindu
CHENNAI
The Tamil Nadu government would incur a loss of ₹300 crore if it regulated the fees for the students of Government Cuddalore Medical College [former Rajah Muthiah Medical College] in Chidambaram, who were admitted before February 2021, Health Minister Ma. Subramanian said in the Assembly on Thursday.
Responding to a special calling attention motion moved by some legislators, who urged the government to bring the fee structure of the institution on a par with that of other government colleges, Mr. Subramanian said the fee fixed during the admission process was generally not increased or reduced till the end of the course. “This is because if the fee is reduced after the completion of the admission process, it would be an injustice to those who chose not to pursue admission in the college due to high fees earlier,” Mr. Subramanian said.
In fact, by revising the education fee to benefit UG and PG medical and dental students in October 2021, the State government had already incurred a loss of ₹119.88 crore, the Minister said.
AIADMK legislator N. Thalavai Sundaram (Kanniyakumari), Congress MLA K. Selvaperunthagai (Sriperumbudur), PMK MLA G.K. Mani (Pennagaram), CPI member K. Marimuthu (Tiruthuraipoondi) and Panruti MLA T. Velmurugan urged the State government to reduce the education fee of the Government Cuddalore Medical College.
In 2020-21, the State government announced that Rajah Muthiah Medical College, then attached to Annamalai University in Chidambaram, would function as a government medical college for Cuddalore district.
On January 27, 2021, a G.O. was issued to transfer the medical institutions attached to Annamalai University - Rajah Muthiah Medical College, Rani Meyyammai College of Nursing and Rajah Muthiah Dental College - to the Health Department.