Medical students oppose fee hike, bond policy in Punjab
Medical students across Punjab are speaking out against a recent 5% yearly fee hike and a compulsory service bond after graduation.
The Medical Student Association met with the state's medical education minister, Dr. Balbir Singh, asking for these changes to be rolled back.
Many worry the higher fees—now ₹2.49L per year for government seats and ₹14.94L for private management—will make it tough for students from less privileged backgrounds to pursue medicine.
Total costs for government seat now nearly ₹14L
With total costs (including hostel) now reaching nearly ₹14L just for a government MBBS seat, many say it's become almost impossible to study medicine without big loans.
Students point out that neighboring states like Himachal Pradesh and Haryana have much lower fees.
While officials say this policy has been around since 2020, Dr. Balbir Singh assured students their concerns would be taken seriously and promised to look into balancing affordability with quality education.