SC ST Medical Students Reportedly Pressured to Pay Internship Year Fees Despite Official Ban

Several self-financing medical colleges are reportedly demanding tuition fees from Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (SC ST) students for the fifth-year internship of MBBS and BDS courses, despite official rules prohibiting such charges. These institutions have allegedly withheld hall tickets for fourth-year exams if fees are unpaid. The Directorate of Medical Education issued directives clarifying no fees should be collected during the internship year, but students and parents have raised complaints about violations, citing government scholarships that cover tuition fees for eligible SC ST students.