Bengaluru: There will be no increase in fee structure for medical and dental courses in the upcoming academic year, despite pressure from private medical colleges, Karnataka Minister for Medical Education Sharan Prakash Patil said on Saturday.

The minister made this clear at a meeting with the office-bearers of private medical and dental college managements, his office said in a statement.

Private colleges had appealed for a 10 to 15 per cent hike in fees, to which the minister said that the government had allowed a 10 per cent increase last year, and no fee hike will be permitted this year, it said.

Noting that last year's 10 per cent hike was sufficient, Patil emphasised that there will be no fee hike this year, and added that an agreement formalising this decision will be signed soon.

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Delhi: DoE issues guidelines to strengthen verification of school-based internships

New Delhi: The Delhi Directorate of Education (DoE) has issued fresh directions to strengthen the verification process for school-based internships during summer and autumn breaks to ensure students gain meaningful experience in vocational courses, officials said.

The move is part of of ongoing efforts to provide students with workplace training that is safe, skill-relevant and beneficial, they said.

In a circular issued on May 13, the DoE directed Heads of Schools (HoSs) and designated Resource Persons to monitor and verify internships more closely.

HoSs have been instructed to confirm internship details such as employer name, location, duration, student participation, and the kind of experience offered, the circular said.

These details must be recorded carefully and submitted in a prescribed format to maintain transparency, it said.

Resource Persons have been instructed to visit two to four internship sites daily to assess the quality of training being offered, it added.

"Their role includes checking student engagement, the relevance of assigned tasks to vocational trade, and whether safety protocols are being followed," the circular noted.

It said that these steps are crucial to safeguard student welfare and to ensure that the internships are not just formalities but genuine opportunities for learning and growth.

The department runs a variety of internship programmes for students, often focused on experiential learning and skill development during their summer and autumn breaks. Some programmes are designed specifically for high school students, while others are for students in higher education under vocational training, it added.