HRDA opposes uniform fee proposal for medical seats in Telangana

The Healthcare Reforms Doctors Association has opposed a proposed uniform fee structure for medical seats in Telangana, saying it threatens the Convener Quota system and could make medical education unaffordable for meritorious students from poor and middle-class families.

Hyderabad: The Healthcare Reforms Doctors Association (HRDA), Telangana, on Monday maintained that the proposal for a uniform common fee structure for UG and PG medical seats is an attempt by private medical college management associations to dismantle the Convener Quota system.

In a formal representation submitted to the Health Secretary, Dr Christina Z Chongthu, the HRDA members on Monday said that proposal for a uniform fee across all categories is not a benign reform, but a calculated strategy aimed at eliminating affordable Convener Quota seats and converting merit-based medical education into a privilege accessible only to the affluent.

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“We sought urgent protection of the Convenor Quota system and requested the State Government to file an appeal against the recent Single Bench order, in the larger interest of merit, equity, and social justice in medical education,” the members of HRDA, in a statement, said.

Convener Quota seats have historically served as a critical safeguard, enabling meritorious students from economically weaker and middle-class families, particularly from rural and disadvantaged backgrounds, to pursue medical education.

The HRDA urged the State government to refrain from implementing any uniform/common fee structure that disproportionately benefits private management while imposing an excessive financial burden on poor and middle-class aspirants.

Resist pressure tactics and policy traps advanced by private medical college associations aimed at maximising commercial gains at the cost of social justice and public interest, HRDA in the representation said.