The Punjab Cabinet on Thursday decided to regulate the charges of private health sciences universities so that students don't have to pay exorbitant fee.
The cabinet, led by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, gave approval to amend the Punjab Private Health Sciences Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admission, Fixation of Fee and Making of Reservation) Act, 2006, by promulgating an Ordinance.
The cabinet approved the amendment in the 2006 Act in order to bring private health sciences universities under its purview. With this, the fee fixed by the state government would be applicable to private universities also.
According to an officials statement, the decision was taken in pursuance of the recommendations of a cabinet sub-committee constituted in June this year.
The cabinet sub-committee, comprising then health minister Brahm Mohindra, Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal, and Higher and Technical Education Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, had made the recommendations.
Pertinently, the Act stipulates that the government can prescribe a fee structure for private medical institution running health science course and distribute their seats between the management and government quota.
According to the Act, the fee for medical colleges and other health institution is fixed by the state government from time to time.
The fee for MBBS course in private institutions is Rs 2.20 lakh per annum for open quota/government quota (50 per cent) seats and Rs 6.60 lakh per annum for management quota seats.
From 2012 onwards, many private medical colleges were constituted in private health sciences universities and they challenged the fee fixed under the 2006 Act in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, on the ground that it was applicable to private health sciences institutions and not to the private universities.
The High Court, in its May 1 order, accepted their plea and held that private health sciences universities are not covered under the 2006 Act.
In another decision, the state government hiked its monthly matching contribution for employees under the New Pension Scheme from 10 per cent to 14 per cent of Basic Pay plus Dearness Allowance (DA), in line with the decision of the Government of India.
In another pro-employee initiative, the Cabinet also approved the benefit of Death-Cum-Retirement Gratuity to all the employees of state government recruited on or after January 1, 2004 and covered under the New Pension Scheme.
As part of the state government's commemoration of the 550th Prakash Purb of Guru Nanak Dev, the Punjab cabinet gave nod for the establishment of Jagat Guru Nanak Dev Punjab State Open University in Patiala.
A Bill would be presented in the next session of the Assembly for the enactment of 'Jagat Guru Nanak Dev Punjab State Open University Act, 2019'.
In another decision, the state cabinet approved extradition of Kuljinder Kaur Thandi from the United Kingdom, who is wanted under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), setting the stage for the formalities of her extradition to be completed soon.
Kuljinder, a resident of village Thinda in Hoshiarpur, is wanted in a FIR registered in 2015 under various sections including murder.
However, under the extradition treaty between India and UK, an undertaking is required to be given that the accused, if extradited to India, will not be executed.
In line with the extradition treaty's provisions, and in accordance with the Indian Constitution, the state cabinet has cleared the proposal to seek commutation of Kuljinder's death sentence, if so accorded by the courts, from the Governor.
Thandi is currently a resident of Street Heather Drive City, Dartfort Kent in the United Kingdom, official release said.
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