Ukraine crisis: Karnataka mulling reduction of medical fees

Bengaluru, Mar 21: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday said that the government is considering measures to reduce the fees for medical course in the state and also National Medical Council (NMC) is looking into it, following the Ukraine crisis, aimed at facilitating more students to study here. He also said that the Centre is considering alternative measures for medical students, who have returned from war-torn Ukraine, before completing their course.

"The current cost of medical education is increasing. Despite the cost of government seats being low, in the private sector it is increasing. In some cases students, who score 90-95 per cent are unable to clear NEET exams, as management or NRI seat costs are also high, they opt for via media options (of studying in countries like Ukraine)," CM Bommai said.

He was responding to a question regarding plans for changes in policies to provide enough opportunity for students to study medicine in India itself, instead of them going to countries like Ukraine.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, "the government has held discussions in this regard, to reduce the fees in the state we are planning for A, B and C categorisation, but as the medical courses are controlled by National Medical Council (NMC), they are also looking at it. Things are under consideration in the backdrop of the Ukraine crisis."

To a question whether the government is planning any alternate arrangements for medical students who have returned from Ukraine, as their education is discontinued, the Chief Minister said, the central government is thinking about it.

"The course there is different from here, on completing the course there, students have to clear exams to practice here. Students of first, second and third year all have come back, as students from different states are involved, the Centre is thinking about it," he added.

Bommai was speaking ahead of visiting Chalageri village of Ranebennur taluk in Haveri district, to pay last respects to Naveen Shekarappa Gyanagaudar, a final year medical student at Kharkiv National Medical University, who was killed on March 1 in Russian shelling in Ukraine. The Chief Minister earlier in the day had received the mortal remains of Gyanagaudar at the airport in Bengaluru.

(PTI)