Fee to be collected only for 4 and half years of degree
Irfan Tramboo
SRINAGAR, Dec 2: In a much-needed relief to the students, the Government has removed the irregularity in the fee structure for the Bachelor in Unani Medicine and Surgery (BUMS) degree offered at two different colleges in Kashmir.
As per the directives which have been issued by the Health and Medical Education (H&ME) Department, the duration of the course has been set as 4 and half years while the per year fee has been set as Rs. 1,10, 000.
Earlier, it is to be noted here that the Institute of Kashmir Tibbia College, Hospital and Research Centre, Saida Kadal was going on with 5 and half years as the duration of the BUMS course and was collecting Rs 1,10, 000 as per year fee.
On the other hand, the Institute of Asian Medical Sciences, Zakura had set the course duration as 4 and a half years with the same amount of fee per year, which resulted in resentment among the students who were, for the last some time seeking the attention of the authorities to remove the anomaly.
It has been stated that the total duration of the BUMS course is 5 and a half years, out of which a candidate has to undergo a compulsory internship in various Hospitals for one year. Thus, H&ME said, the fee by a college has to be charged for 4 and half years only instead of 5 and half years.
H&ME said that the Institute of Asian Medical Sciences, Zakura, Srinagar is charging the fee from the BUMS students for 4 and half years, while the Tibbia College, Hospital and Research Centre, Saidakadal, Srinagar is charging a fee for 5 and half years, which, it said, has created an anomalous situation in the duration of fee structure between the two colleges for the same course.
In this regard, the Director, Ayush, J&K in October this year also brought the anomaly to the notice of the department for its removal to bring parity in the duration of the course for which a college can charge the fee from its students. The matter was also taken up by the students of the Institute of Kashmir Tibbia College, Hospital and Research Centre, Saidakadal, Srinagar for the removal of the same.
Officials said that the H&ME, after the examination of the issue, found that the concern of Director Ayush, J&K as well as the representation of the students merited consideration, prompting the authorities to take up the matter with the Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs for guidance.
The Law Department in its advice stated that the issue is all about the duration of the BUMS Course, fixation of which is not the mandate of the fee fixation committee and that the disparity in payment of fee between the two colleges is required to be corrected and there may not be any legal impediment in correcting the same by issuing appropriate orders after seeking approval of the competent authority.
The H&ME said that under the last paragraph of Government order No: 273-HME of 2018 dated: 17-04-2018 shall, and shall always be deemed to have been abinitio substituted by the following which states that the duration of the BUMS course will be 4 and half years with a fee of Rs 1,10,000 per year for Government and Management quota.
Follow our WhatsApp channel