Cooperative Medical College to cut fee: Sudhakaran

Cooperative Medical College to cut fee: Sudhakaran
Staff Reporter
Foundation stone laid for nursing college, hostels
Extra fee collected last year to be refunded
Nursing college, hostels built at an estimated cost of Rs.9 crore
KOCHI: Cooperation and Coir Minister G. Sudhakaran has said that the professional colleges in the State were facing a dearth of faculty. He was speaking after laying the foundation stone for the nursing college and hostels on the premises of the Cooperative Medical College, Kalamassery, here on Wednesday.
The faulty policies on higher education and professional education for 40 years have resulted in such a situation, said the Minister. The situation has affected medical colleges the most. Understanding the situation, the Co-operative Academy of Professional Education (CAPE) has taken the initiative of creating institutions that would provide more professionals in various fields of medicine, engineering and management.
Mr. Sudhakaran came down heavily on the ambiguity in the system of inspecting the colleges by the Medical Council of India. It has affected many medical colleges in carrying out their academic programme. He said that from the next academic session the Co-operative Medical College would cut the fee. A 20 per cent reduction in the current fee of Rs.4.5 lakh for the management quota seats is likely. The extra fee collected last year will be refunded, said the Minister. The fee cut is being implemented when the college is running at a loss of Rs.10 crore, he said. The aim is to make professional education more affordable and Government would provide the funds for it, he said.
The nursing college and hostels are built at an estimated cost of Rs.9-crore. The hostels will have the capacity to house 400 students.
The hostel and college are part of the Rs.20 crore basic infrastructure facility development programme under CAPE.
A. M. Yusuf, MLA, presided over the function. P.G.R. Pillai, Medical Director, welcomed the gathering. K. Krishnankutty, Director, CAPE, presented the report.
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