Karnataka: AYUSH course fee soars by 25%, leaves students in distress

In a recent development, the Karnataka education department has hiked the fees for courses related to Ayurveda, Yoga, naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy (AYUSH) by 25%.

This decision has adversely affected more than one lakh students within the state, eliciting strong criticism from student organizations.

On September 23, the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) unveiled an online mop-up round for dental seats and disclosed the seat availability and fee structure for undergraduate AYUSH courses.

The revised fee structure now indicates an increase in the first-year fee for AYUSH courses, raising it from Rs 60,000 to Rs 75,000 per student.

This move comes after aided and unaided private AYUSH medical colleges had formally requested the state government to consider a fee hike.

The fee structure had remained unchanged for the past five years, even during the Covid-19 pandemic. The fee hike has been met with discontent among students, particularly those hailing from rural areas.

A students organization said the government is depriving students of their right to access quality education. It appears to have given in to pressure from corporate interests. Stating that this decision is detrimental to students, they demanded the state to rescind it.