‘Becoming a doctor too expensive in Punjab': Doctors want govt to rollback MBBS fee hike, write to CM Mann

Indian Express

26-06-2025

The Punjab government's revised fee structure for MBBS and BDS courses in government medical colleges, government society-run institutions, and private health science institutions has met with protests, with many students and junior doctors terming the move 'anti-merit' and 'anti-middle class'.
Saying that the fee hike would restrict access to public medical education and disproportionately affect aspirants from rural and low-income families, the Resident Doctors' Association (RDA) has written to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann demanding a rollback of the new structure, calling for more equitable policies that prioritise accessibility over revenue generation.
According to the new structure announced on June 13, the total MBBS course fee in government medical colleges and government society-run institutions (excluding the NRI quota) has been raised to ₹10,98,000 from the 2025–26 academic year. For NRI candidates in government colleges, the full course fee has been fixed at $1,10,000, which is approximately ₹91.3 lakh at the current exchange rate.
Dr Milan Preet, joint secretary of Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA), Punjab, and advisor to the Resident Doctors' Association (RDA) of Patiala, highlighted growing concerns over stipend disparities for postgraduate medical students in Punjab.
'Becoming a doctor is now too expensive in Punjab. When I became a doctor around 12 years ago, I paid less fee in five years than the stipend I got in Punjab. But since then, the stipend hasn't been substantially increased, whereas the fee has skyrocketed,' said Dr Preet.
The year-wise breakdown for the MBBS course is ₹1,92,000 for the first year, ₹2,11,000 for the second year, ₹2,29,000 for the third year, ₹2,49,000 for the fourth year, and ₹1,17,000 for the final six-month term.
Dr Raman, president of RDA Patiala, pointed out that in Kerala, government college annual fees range between ₹20,000 and ₹30,000, while private medical colleges there charge less than the government colleges in Punjab. 'The annual fee at private colleges in Kerala is below ₹7 lakh. Now you can understand how expensive medical education is in the state,' he said.
In private health sciences institutions under the government quota, the total fee has been set at ₹23,67,000. This includes ₹4,47,000 for the first year, ₹4,90,000 for the second year, ₹5,36,000 for the third year, ₹5,81,000 for the fourth year, and ₹3,13,000 for the final six months. For students under the management quota in private colleges, the fee is significantly higher, totaling ₹62,92,000 for the full course. The annual charges range from ₹11,49,000 in the first year to ₹14,94,000 in the fourth year, with an additional ₹8,05,000 for the final six months.
'Despite performing the same duties and working comparable hours, PG junior residents in Punjab receive a fixed stipend of ₹67,968 per month across all three years, with no linkage to Dearness Allowance (DA),' Dr Preet said.
In contrast, he pointed out that states like Haryana, Rajasthan, and Delhi not only offer higher stipends—ranging from ₹85,000 to over ₹1 lakh—but also link them to DA, allowing compensation to adjust with inflation.
Dr Raman added that senior residents in Punjab also face a similar gap. 'While states like Delhi pay around ₹1.2 lakh per month and Haryana offers up to ₹1.15 lakh with DA linkage, Punjab's senior residents receive a fixed ₹81,562, which does not reflect current cost-of-living trends,' he said. He further noted that even Himachal Pradesh recently raised its senior residency stipend to ₹1 lakh, leaving Punjab behind in both amount and policy responsiveness.
On the financial burden of postgraduate medical education, Dr. Mehtab Singh Bal, press secretary of PCMSA Punjab and RDA Patiala, stated that Punjab remains one of the costliest states for PG students.
'Punjab's lack of DA-linked stipends, combined with one of the highest tuition structures in the country, severely undermines the affordability and attractiveness of medical education in the state. These policy gaps are not just numbers; they directly impact the well-being and choices of young doctors, especially those from rural or economically weaker backgrounds,' Dr Preet said.
As per the latest corrigendum issued by the state government, a service bond of ₹20 lakh will apply to MBBS and BDS students admitted under both the State Quota and the All India Quota. The mandated service duration is one year for All India Quota students and two years for State Quota students. Additionally, the government reserves the right to extend the service period at its discretion.
'We don't have much information on how this bond will play out. We are not sure if new doctors will be allowed admission in the post-graduation courses or whether they will be first asked to complete a two-year period. We need more clarity from the government,' said Dr Preet.
'The MBBS tuition fees and the introduction of a mandatory bond policy by the Punjab Government are anti-poor, anti-middle class, and against the vulnerable sections of our society. These policies will deter meritorious students from economically weaker backgrounds from pursuing medicine, pushing them toward private institutions or abroad, thus fueling commercialisation and privatisation of medical education. We view this as a corporate-friendly move that undermines the spirit of affordable public medical education,' the RDA letter stated.
The Association has urged the government to consult with student representatives, health professionals, and educators before implementing any changes affecting public medical education. 'We implore the government to focus on strengthening infrastructure and improving stipends, rather than placing financial burdens on students,' wrote RDA in their letter to CM Mann.