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The Rajasthan government has directed all private medical colleges in the state to strictly adhere to the fee structure approved by the state-level fee regulatory committee, warning of stringent action if any institute found violating the rules, officials said. Medical Education Secretary Ambrish Kumar said the move follows repeated complaints of arbitrary fee collection by some private colleges. The directive, he said, is in line with the Supreme Court's ruling in Islamic Academy of Education vs State of Karnataka, which mandates regulation of admission and fee structures to prevent commercialisation of education. In a statement on Friday, Kumar said several colleges were reportedly charging extra fees by categorising 15 per cent of seats as "management quota" without authorisation. Institutions found collecting fees beyond approved limits will be required to refund the excess amount with a 12 per cent annual interest, he said. Non-compliance could lead to withdrawal of affiliation, recovery of excess fees from institutional assets and possible penal action. The government said the order will ensure transparency, curb exploitation of students and make medical education more affordable and merit-based.
