The order says that out of Rs 11 lakh, Rs 5 lakh has to be remitted in cash while the students can also furnish a bank guarantee for the remaining Rs 6 lakh.

The order has given the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and the BJP a powerful weapon to belabour the Pinarayi Government.

Leader of the Opposition, Ramesh Chennithala has squarely blamed the LDF Government for what he called the “man-made disaster.”

The Kerala High Court, Chennithala said, had permitted the Government, through its order on July 17, to admit students to the MBBS course at an annual fee of Rs 5 lakh. But the Government ‘slept’ for a month before rolling out the admissions. This gave the managements the opportunity to move the court and alter the scenario.

The Government will find it extremely difficult to explain why it held discussions with the managements on four types of fees even after the Justice (Retired) Rajendra Babu committee fixed Rs 5 lakh as the annual fee. The fact that the government delayed admissions and held talks with the managements proved that it was in collusion with the managements, Chennithala charged.

Reports have it that the Congress, which has cottoned on to a potent issue to grill the government, is contemplating moving the apex court on the issue.

The BJP has also accused the Government of reaching an ‘understanding’ with the managements on the issue, What compounded the government’s offence was its failure to bring the facts before the apex court, which led to the court fixing the fee at Rs 11 lakh.

It all began with the Fees Regulatory Committee headed by Justice Rajendra Babu fixing the fee at Rs 5 lakh. The managements challenged it and moved the SC, which asked the Kerala High Court to take a decision. The HC had ordered to give bonds instead of bank guarantees. This was challenged in the SC, which has now ordered to give a bank guarantee of Rs 6 lakh besides the Rs 5 lakh fixed as the annual fee.

The order has virtually jeopardized the career of students who have already paid the Rs 5 lakh fee fixed by the Fee Regulation Committee. They are stunned by the SC order which will require them to cough up an additional Rs 6 lakh as bank guarantee. This was a cruel blow to the poor students’ hopes for medical education, the Opposition has stated.

The Pinarayi Government is now trying to undo the damage with assurances that no student will be denied admission to the self-financing colleges for not giving bank guarantees as ordered by the SC. The poor students who have secured admissions to self-financing colleges will not lose the opportunity because of the verdict, the Chief Minister has assured.

How the government will do that is not clear. One way is for the government to pay the additional Rs 6 lakh on behalf of the poor students. It can also help the students to get bank loans once the fees are finally fixed.

The silver lining is the SC order itself which says the Fees Regulatory Committee can take the final decision on the annual fee although the court has fixed it at Rs 11 lakh.

All said and done, the SC verdict has put the government in a tight spot. It will have to do something fast to undo the damage and counter the opposition propaganda that the students’ plight is entirely due to its ‘collusion’ with the managements. (IPA Service)