MBBS students cry foul over advance hostel fees

HYDERABAD: After bank guarantee, it's the issue of hostel fee that has come to haunt MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) aspirants, who alleged that private colleges are now demanding that students pay this fee in advance to secure admission.
Claiming that this demand is in violation of the rules laid down by the Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences (KNRUHS), candidates said that the upfront payment of hostel fee would hit them hard in case they decide to transfer their admission to some other college in the later phases of the counselling process.“ Asking us to pay hostel fee at the time of admission is just a trap as they are well aware that if a student has to move to a better college after the first phase of counselling, the candidate will be in dilemma as heshe will have to forego the hostel fee. KNRUHS should immediately look into the issue and take action against the colleges demanding this fee,“ said Sanjeev M, an aspirant.
Another candidate, Sri Latha Y, said: “It is not mandatory for all candidates to stay in college hostels. So, asking everyone to pay this fee doesn't make any sense.“ Bringing up the other contentious issue of furnishing bank guarantee, she added,“The varsity should make sure that candidates admitted under convener quota are not forced to provide bank guarantee as they are exempted from it.“ College managements, predictably , denied the allegations.
“There might be some isolated incidents, but not all colleges are asking candidates to pay hostel fee or show bank guarantee. In fact, as per the GO, students have to pay the fee for this academic year and show their second year's fee as bank guarantee,“ said Laxmi Narasimha Rao, president, Telangana private medical colleges association.
While admitting that they are aware of the issue, KNRUHS officials said that they have received no complaint in writing. “We have only received oral complaints and, therefore, have no basis to initiate an inquiry . In fact, in the next couple of days we might receive more complaints as candidates have time till Wednesday to join,“ said B Karunakar Reddy , V-C of the KNRUHS varsity.