Assam Health Minister Ashok Singhal on Saturday, 24 October defended the state government's revised MBBS fee structure in Guwahati, asserting that the increase was negligible when set against the ₹40 lakh that students typically pay at private medical colleges. The minister's remarks came at a press conference and sought to reframe the fee revision as a pro-equity measure rather than a burden on students.

The New Fee Structure

Under the revised arrangement, MBBS students from families with an annual income above ₹9 lakh will pay ₹1 lakh per year. Those from households earning between ₹4 lakh and ₹9 lakh annually will be charged ₹50,000 per year, while students from families with an income below ₹4 lakh will pay just ₹5,000 annually. The income-linked model is designed to shield economically weaker students from a disproportionate financial burden.

What the Minister Said

'Yes, the fees have been increased. Why? Because it was a decision of the government. In private institutes, people are paying ₹40 lakh for it. We have made a very small increase,' Singhal said at the press conference. The minister argued that tying fee slabs to family income was the government's way of ensuring that medical education in state-run institutions remained accessible to all income groups.

Kidney Care and Dialysis Expansion

Singhal also highlighted parallel efforts to make specialised treatment affordable. He said Assam recorded approximately 33 to 34 kidney transplants last year, with each procedure costing between ₹2.5 lakh and ₹3 lakh. According to the minister, these costs were covered through the Pradhan Mantri Arogya Nidhi and Mukhya Mantri Arogya Nidhi schemes. He added that more than 30 new dialysis centres had been opened across the state in the past three months, significantly expanding treatment access for patients requiring regular dialysis.

Wider Context

The fee revision comes amid sustained public debate over the affordability of medical education across India, with private college costs having risen sharply over the past decade. In Assam specifically, the dual challenge of expanding medical infrastructure and producing enough trained doctors for a growing healthcare system has added urgency to policy decisions on MBBS access. Critics, however, are likely to question whether even the revised government fees — particularly the ₹1 lakh per year slab — remain within reach for middle-income families already stretched by other education and living costs.

What Comes Next

The revised fee structure is expected to remain a subject of public and political discussion in Assam, particularly as the academic year progresses and students begin enrolling under the new slabs. The government's ability to maintain the income-verification mechanism transparently will be key to whether the stated equity goals are realised in practice.