Punjab cabinet nod to nursing course fee revision

Chandigarh: The Punjab cabinet on Wednesday approved revision of fee structure in various nursing courses with effect from academic session 2020-21. The increase in fee will be applicable prospectively only to new students joining in session from 2020-21. All the existing enrolled students will continue to pay at old rates for the full course.

An official spokesperson said the revision has been proposed with regard to ANM Nursing course in government and private nursing colleges, BSc nursing (Basic) and BSc nursing (Post Basic) in private colleges of the state. The spokesperson added that the decision had been taken to strengthen the medical education and infrastructural facilities at government and private medical colleges.

The hike is in accordance with the recommendations of a committee constituted under principal secretary, medical education on January 29, 2020, by the medical education and research department, in compliance of the orders passed on August 2, 2017, by the Punjab and Haryana high court in the matter of civil writ petition No. 24359 of 2016-Nursing Training Institutes Association, Punjab.

The spokesperson said that the committee, after detailed deliberations on March 23, 2020, and keeping in view the fee structure in other states as well as increase in overall expenses, unanimously recommended that the fee for government institutions be fixed lower than private institutions. The general nursing and midwifery (GNM) course fee should not be revised as it is likely to be stopped by the Indian Nursing Council from 2021, it further recommended.

BOX: STUDENTS TO SHELL OUT MORE

Ø ANM course

Ø Government Institutions: Fee hiked from Rs 5,000 Rs 7,000 (per year)

Ø Private institutions: Fee hiked from Rs 14,375 to Rs 18,000 (per year)

Ø BSc nursing (basic) & BSc nursing (post-basix) course

Ø No hike in government institutions (Rs 40,000 per year)

Ø Private institutions: Increased from Rs 40,250 to Rs 50,000 (per year)

Ø MSc nursing

Ø No increase in fee in government institutions (Rs 1,00,000 per year) and in private institutions (Rs 1, 75,000 per year).

Ø 5% annual increase in fee for both government and private institutions for 5 years for subsequent batches, with review after 5 years