A storm is brewing over the rising cost of professional education in Madhya Pradesh after it was revealed that the Admission and Fee Regulatory Committee fixed fees for a staggering 1,437 institutions in just 14 meetings in 2025. In a single meeting held on May 20, 2025, fees were determined for 370 institutions. Another 293 institutions were cleared on June 17, 244 on June 15, 224 on June 9, and 178 more on December 10.
The figures were disclosed by Higher Education Minister Inder Singh Parmar in a written reply to MLA Pratap Grewal, triggering a political and public debate over transparency and fairness.
At the heart of the controversy is medical education, particularly MBBS, where the numbers are striking. For 2025-26, the minimum annual MBBS fee stands at Rs 9 lakh, while the maximum reaches Rs 12.60 lakh. This means a five-year course can cost over Rs 60 lakh in tuition alone, excluding hostel charges, books, equipment, and other expenses. For thousands of aspirants who clear competitive exams like NEET after years of preparation, the bigger hurdle now appears to be financial sustainability.
The escalation does not end with MBBS. Ayurvedic medical education has also moved into the "lakhs bracket." MD (Ayurvedic) Non-Clinical courses have a minimum annual fee of around Rs 1.91 lakh, stretching up to Rs 6 lakh. BAMS courses range between Rs 2.20 lakh and Rs 6 lakh per year. Dentistry reflects a similar pattern, with BDS fees ranging from Rs 2.60 lakh to Rs 6 lakh annually. In practical terms, becoming a doctor, whether in modern or traditional medicine, now requires an investment comparable to urban real estate in some cities.
The surge becomes even more significant when viewed over time. Between 2017-18 and 2025-26, minimum course fees increased by 8% to 13%, but maximum fees rose by 80% to 120%. In several cases, particularly MBA and BE courses, the maximum fee in 2025-26 is over 20% higher than in 2024-25.
For MBA programmes, the minimum fee is Rs 40,000, while the maximum climbs to Rs 1.90 lakh. For BE and similar technical courses, the minimum is around Rs 42,000 and the maximum touches Rs 1.44 lakh. Law courses show a similar disparity: LLB programmes start at Rs 23,000 but can go up to Rs 98,000, while LLM courses range between Rs 25,000 and Rs 82,500.
Teacher education has also seen a steady rise. BEd fees, which stood at Rs 82,000 in 2017-18, rose to over Rs 1.09 lakh in 2020-21 and crossed Rs 1.19 lakh in 2024-25. Physiotherapy courses such as MPT and BPT range from Rs 42,000 to Rs 1.44 lakh and Rs 40,000 to Rs 1.90 lakh, respectively. Across sectors, medicine, management, engineering, law, and teacher education, professional education now firmly sits in the lakhs bracket.
Minister Parmar defended the variation in fees, stating that each institution's income and expenditure statement forms the basis for calculation. According to him, salary expenditure, including faculty and staff payments, is a significant component and can naturally result in higher fee structures in certain institutions. However, the explanation has not silenced critics.
MLA Pratap Grewal questioned how fees for the same course can vary four to five times between institutions when faculty qualifications, pay norms, and course standards are regulated by central and state authorities. He pointed out that the committee's meeting minutes list only institution names and final approved fees, without detailing expenditure components or whether any physical verification was conducted.
Grewal further alleged that the committee's framework clearly states students should not be charged for development costs, building construction, capital investments, or loan interest unrelated to education. He claimed that before approving any hike, the committee or its representatives are required to physically verify institutional expenditures. However, according to him, there is no mention of such verification in the meeting records.
Adding to the controversy, a note reportedly recorded during the May 20, 2025 meeting suggested obtaining proof of TDS deducted by the Income Tax Department to verify faculty salaries, a safeguard against inflated salary claims. Grewal alleged that this measure was not implemented in subsequent approvals covering more than 1,000 institutions.
In a strong charge, Grewal claimed that the committee's functioning is enabling fee escalations amounting to Rs 400-500 crore annually.
For students and families across Madhya Pradesh, the debate is no longer abstract. Clearing competitive exams may open academic doors, but stepping inside increasingly demands financial capacity. As one medical aspirant said, "We fight for rank, but the real battle is with the fee receipt."
With MBBS crossing Rs 12.60 lakh per year and professional course fees steadily rising, higher education in the state stands at a crossroads between opportunity and affordability - between aspiration and exclusion. The numbers are out. The questions continue to grow.
