Patiala, Aug. 9 -- Opposition parties in Punjab on Saturday slammed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for raising the MBBS fee for the 2026-27 academic session. They claimed that the hike imposes a heavy financial burden on meritorious students and their families, effectively making medical education inaccessible. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal called the fee hike a major setback for deserving students across the state. Taking to X, she said: "Punjab's 'sehat & sikhiya kranti' exposed!" Former Punjab education minister and Congress MLA Pargat Singh said the hike was contrary to government's promise of providing affordable education and alleged that the rising fee was putting the dream of becoming a doctor beyond the reach of poor and middle-class families. He compared Punjab's fee with those in neighbouring states, claiming that MBBS education in government medical colleges in Haryana was significantly cheaper than Punjab. Criticising the fee hike, the BJP, Punjab, argued that making medical education more expensive could force middle-class families to take on substantial financial liabilities or encourage students to seek more affordable options outside the state. The opposition urged the AAP government to reconsider the revised fee structure and provide relief to students and their families. Dr Balbir Singh did not respond to repeated texts and calls. For the 2026-27 academic session, the total tuition fee for the 5.5-year MBBS course in Punjab's government medical colleges has increased from Rs.9.98 lakh to Rs.10.83 lakh, a rise of around 8.5%. htc...