The Supreme Court on Monday upheld Tribhuvan University (TU) Executive Council’s decision to reduce the fees for the Doctor of Medicine (MD) programme following pressure from different medical colleges.

Medical colleges, including Bhairahawa-based Universal College of Medical Sciences and Teaching Hospital, had moved the apex court demanding scrapping of Rs 2.2 million fee ceiling—which was scaled down from previous Rs3.1 million. The fees cover tuition, admission, library, practical and examination charges. The apex court’s ruling means  medical colleges will now have to comply with the university’s ceiling.

Based on the recommendation of an expert panel led by former TU vice-chancellor Kedar Bhakta Mathema and as per the demand of Dr Govinda KC, who spearheads the campaign for reforms in medical education, the TU council reduced fees on March 26. However, medical colleges continued to charge up to Rs1.7 million besides the fees fixed by the council.

Hundreds of students protested after medical colleges refused to comply with the fee set by the university.

Dr Govinda KC last week demanded the government immediately scrap affiliation of medical colleges charging higher fees for MD/MS courses violating the TU decision.

“Medical colleges have been extorting millions of rupees from students,” he had said.

The students, under the Doctors Society of Nepal (DSON), staged demonstrations pressing the Institute of Medicine to take necessary steps for the effective implementation of the fee structure fixed by the TU.

Chitwan Medical College (CMC) of Bharatpur; Gandaki Medical College of Pokhara; Universal College of Medical Sciences & Teaching Hospital (UCMS) of Bhairahawa; National Medical College of Birgunj; People’s Dental College of Kathmandu and Nepal Army Institute of Health Sciences were found flouting the fee ceiling.

As per the TU Executive Council decision, the MD students have to pay 50 percent of the total fees in the first year and 25 percent in the second and third years respectively.