Kerala Government Directs Private Medical Colleges to Follow NMC rules on MBBS fees
In a significant development for medical education in Kerala, the State Government has directed all self-financing private medical and dental colleges to strictly comply with the National Medical Commission’s (NMC) directive limiting tuition fee collection to the prescribed academic duration of four-and-a-half years for MBBS and BDS courses. The announcement was made by Kerala Health Minister K. Muraleedharan in the Legislative Assembly on June 30, 2026, amid growing concerns that several private institutions continued collecting fees for five years despite the NMC’s April 2026 directive.
The Minister clarified that the government had recently convened a high-level meeting to restructure the fee collection mechanism for private self-financing institutions. According to him, the revised policy will apply to both this year’s and next year’s admissions,ensuring that colleges collect tuition fees only for the academic component of the course and not for the compulsory one-year internship, in line with the NMC’s clarification. The move is expected to benefit thousands of MBBS and BDS students by preventing institutions from levying an additional year of tuition fees beyond the academic curriculum.
Government Alleges Non-Compliance by Private Colleges
Addressing the Assembly during a calling attention motion, Health Minister Muraleedharan stated that despite clear instructions from the NMC directing institutions to refund excess fees collected from students, several private medical colleges had allegedly failed to comply. The issue, he said, had generated numerous complaints and memorandums from students and parents, prompting the State Government to intervene.
The Minister revealed that he personally chaired a meeting on June 16 , where managements of private medical and dental colleges were instructed to adhere to the NMC’s directions without exception. However, many institutions maintained that the existing fee structure had already been approved by the State’s Fee Regulatory Committee and questioned the financial implications of retrospective implementation. The dispute has since evolved into one of the first major tests of the NMC’s ability to enforce its nationwide fee reforms at the state level.
Kerala High Court Grants Interim Relief to Private Colleges
Complicating the implementation of the NMC directive, several private self-financing medical colleges approached the Kerala High Court challenging the regulator’s order, particularly the direction requiring refund of excess fees already collected from students. According to the Health Minister, one such petition filed by MOSC Medical College, Kolenchery, resulted in the High Court granting an interim stay on June 19, temporarily halting enforcement of the refund directive.
The court also permitted the institution to continue collecting fees as previously approved by the Fee Regulatory Committee until further orders. Consequently, the Kerala Government has stated that its decision regarding refund of excess fees to students will depend upon the final outcome of the High Court proceedings. While the litigation continues, the government has nevertheless reiterated that future admissions should comply with the NMC’s four-and-a-half-year fee framework unless modified by judicial orders.
Beyond Tuition Fees: Government Signals Support for Equal Internship Stipends
The fee controversy has also reignited discussion around another major NMC reform concerning internship stipends. During his Assembly statement, the Health Minister indicated that the Kerala Government is inclined to support the NMC’s directive requiring private self-financing medical colleges to pay house surgeons stipends comparable to those received by interns in government medical colleges.
This issue has remained a longstanding concern among medical students across India, with wide disparities in internship stipends between government and private institutions. While no formal announcement has yet been made regarding implementation, the Minister’s remarks suggest that Kerala may take a favourable view towards ensuring greater parity for interns.
Why This Matters for Medical Students Across India
The Kerala developments are likely to have implications extending well beyond the State. Earlier this year, the NMC clarified that MBBS tuition fees should be charged only for the 54-month academic curriculum, excluding the one-year Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship (CRMI). Since private medical colleges in several states traditionally collected fees covering five or even five-and-a-half years, the regulator’s decision potentially reduces the financial burden on students by an entire year’s tuition.
Kerala has now emerged as one of the first major states where implementation of the directive has encountered significant legal resistance. The outcome of the pending High Court proceedings could influence how similar disputes are handled elsewhere, particularly if more private institutions challenge the regulator’s interpretation. Until the legal questions are settled, the issue remains one of the most closely watched developments in India’s medical education landscape, balancing student welfare, regulatory authority, institutional finances, and judicial oversight.
