Medical students cry foul as colleges fail to reimburse fee overcharged last year

Parents and students continue to express frustration over the failure of private medical colleges to refund excessive fees collected last year.

An Ishaq Dar–led committee had capped the maximum annual fee for private medical colleges at Rs 1.8 million, after which the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) instructed institutions to return any additional amount charged to students.

However, many colleges neither refunded the extra fees nor implemented provisions of the PMDC Act. Instead, a consortium of private colleges approached the Islamabad High Court and secured a stay order, halting enforcement of the PMDC directives.

Parents argue that the ongoing legal tussle has made medical and dental education increasingly inaccessible for middle- and lower-income families. Students, too, have pleaded for reforms that would make professional education more affordable and transparent.

Punjab bans use of mobile phones on school premises

In a separate development, the School Education Department announced a complete ban on the use of mobile phones by students in both government and private schools across Punjab.

The department has issued directives to all school principals, ordering strict implementation of the ban and ensuring that students are not allowed to bring mobile phones onto school premises—even if hidden.

According to the official notification, principals have also been instructed to promote students’ participation in co-curricular and personality-development activities, with the aim of reducing screen dependency and encouraging healthier engagement among children.

The new policy stems from a resolution passed by the Punjab Assembly, which also called for legislation concerning children’s use of social media. Lawmakers emphasized the need to protect minors from digital risks and urged swift legal action on regulating children’s online presence.