The National Medical Commission (NMC) has told the Kerala High Court that MBBS fees can be charged only for the prescribed four-and-a-half years of academic study, arguing that colleges cannot levy tuition beyond the notified course duration. The submission came in response to a petition by the Kerala Private Medical College Management Association. The Commission relied on the NMC Act, CBME Guidelines and previous court rulings to support its stand on MBBS fee collection.