Private medical colleges in Uttar Pradesh are under legal scrutiny following complaints of sudden and steep MBBS fee hikes during the 2024-25 academic session. Students and parents have raised concerns over the legality of these increases, alleging violations of NEET guidelines that prohibit mid-session hikes and cap annual fee increases at 5% or 15% over three years.

In Kanpur’s Rama Medical College, for instance, student Bhakti Patil from Maharashtra initially paid ₹12.66 lakh in annual fees, which later surged twice in the same session to ₹15.19 lakh. Similarly, Hapur Medical College raised its fees from ₹11.78 lakh to ₹14.14 lakh, though the Allahabad High Court has temporarily stayed this increase.

On July 5, 2025, the state Fee Determination Committee revised tuition, hostel, and other charges, triggering multiple legal challenges. Students claim this revision contradicts existing norms, and petitions have been filed before the High Court. Despite interim orders, several colleges continue to collect the revised fees.

Parents argue these abrupt hikes place immense financial stress on middle-class families and students dependent on education loans, sparking demands for stricter enforcement of fee regulations.