By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Dec. 23: Amidst numbers of complaints against several medical colleges, which demanded excess fees from MBBS students, Medical Education Commission (MEC) has warned of terminating the affiliation of such colleges.
The MEC, which is also the governing body for medical education sector, issued a notice on Tuesday to clarify that the colleges cannot demand fees going against the law.
“The fee ceiling set by the government covers all the expenses – university registration fee, internal and board examination fee, forensic posting, field visit, internship fee, application fee, affiliation fee, admission fee, lab fee and library fee – required to complete all necessary educational activities,” read the statement.

However, medical colleges have been demanding extra fees for the same reasons.
Some medical colleges have also been found to be making hostel mandatory for the students and charging hefty amount for the service.
Through the notice, the MEC informed that seeking hostel service is a student’s personal decision and it cannot be mandatory.

“Charging extra fees on reasons ineligible to the prevailing law is against the laws safeguarding the right to education for students with low economic condition and those eligible for scholarship. If the colleges demand more fee than the ceiling, concerned authorities will interfere,” read the statement.
It also stated that Sub-section (1) of Section (14) of the National Medical Education Act, 2075 will also be attracted in such case.

The Section (14) deals with the provision affiliation termination. The Sub-section (1) of the section states that affiliation can be terminated if educational institutions demand more fee than the one set by the government.
New batch of MBBS students in different parts of the country have been bound to knock the doors of respective district administration offices alongside universities and the MEC after colleges asked for more fees than the fixed ones.
The students denying paying the extra fee have been threatened they would not be enrolled.