The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Dalit students move court over fee issue

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 08, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Dalit students move court over fee issue

Staff Reporter

They have sought a direction to the Government to pay their fees to KIMS, Bangalore The Government told the court it would only pay fees applicable in colleges run by it

BANGALORE: Two Scheduled Caste students at a medical college in Bangalore have approached the Karnataka High Court seeking a direction to the State Government to pay their annual fees.

In their petition, the students, Swapna and Medini, both of Bangalore, said they appeared for the Common Entrance Test (CET) in 2003 and were selected on merit from the Scheduled Caste (SC) category. They opted to study medicine at the Kempe Gowda Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), Bangalore.

CET Cell guidelines

As per the rules, the CET Cell had issued guidelines that students from the reserved category (SCs and Scheduled Tribes) need not pay the fee of Rs. 45,000 to KIMS for 2003-04 if they opted for a seat under Category I.

The Government had undertaken to pay the tuition and laboratory fees for them.

The students said they were under the impression that the Government had paid their fees.

In September 2005, KIMS wrote to the Director of Medical Education (DME) seeking payment of fees of the students.

Response to request

In October that year, the DME wrote to KIMS saying the Government would only pay the fees payable in government medical colleges.

A student from the reserved category was entitled to "reimbursement" of Rs. 16,200 for 2003-04 and Rs. 14,740 for 2004-05 from the Government. It said there were no government rules to pay the balance.

The petitioners said they approached the authorities to pay the fees but to no avail. The college had warned them that they would not be allowed to appear for their examination if fees were not paid. The last date for payment of fees was February 7, 2006, and if the court did not issue any direction, they would not be able to appear for the examination, the petitioners said.

Justice N.K. Patil directed the college to accept the examination fees of the students and adjourned further hearing of the petition.

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