The coalition government of Andhra Pradesh has decided against granting autonomous status to private medical colleges in the state. This decision came after extensive consultations at the Chief Minister’s level regarding requests from several medical institutions.

The Department of Medical Education expressed concerns that deemed status would severely disadvantage students who cannot afford high fees. Currently, 50% of seats in private medical colleges are allocated to merit students through the convenor quota by NTR Health University, making medical education accessible to deserving candidates.

Health department officials have sent formal letters to the management of three medical colleges that had applied for No Objection Certificates (NOCs), clearly stating that their requests cannot be accommodated.

If granted deemed status, these institutions would be able to charge fees exceeding Rs 20 lakhs and fill seats based on national rankings without reservation policies. The government noted that under the current system, 85% of all medical seats approved by the National Medical Commission are filled by students from within the state.

Another concern raised was that the deemed status would remove university supervision not only over the medical colleges but also over nursing and other allied healthcare education institutions under their management, potentially affecting educational standards across healthcare disciplines.

Nearly seven medical colleges had approached the government directly after NTR Health University informed them that granting such status was not legally feasible.