“MBBS@45 lakhs package. Pay 10 lakh per year -including hostel and food. No extra charges. Admission closes today. To register cal (sic) IES@ 09742657755.”
This is only one of the SMSes received by candidates seeking admission to the MBBS course through the counselling based on National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) rankings. The counselling was supposed to end by Friday midnight going by the Supreme Court’s directive to the state directorate of medical education.
Another SMS reads, “A few seats and a few dates are remaining for talking (sic) direct admission in MBBS, contact at - 09073238363.”
When these reporters called the two mobile numbers, there was no response on the first one. The man who received the call to the second number assured admission for a ‘regular seat’ in a private medical college in Indore for a donation of Rs 12 lakh and annual fees of about Rs 3 lakh. He said, “Admission could be made in some private medical colleges of Kolkata too, but the donation would be higher -- Rs 20 lakh.”
Asked how an admission could be made for a regular seat when the counselling ends on October 7, he said, “Apko iske liye tension karne ki jaroorat nahi hai (You need not worry about on this count).”
Apart from SMSes, admissions were offered through newspaper advertisements. The receiver of a call made to 8696780617 – the number was given in an advertisement – assured admission to two private medical colleges in Rajasthan at `16 lakh per year.
{{/usCountry}}Apart from SMSes, admissions were offered through newspaper advertisements. The receiver of a call made to 8696780617 – the number was given in an advertisement – assured admission to two private medical colleges in Rajasthan at `16 lakh per year.
{{/usCountry}}People making such offers made it clear that admissions could be done after October 7, the last date, for candidates whose names appeared in NEET counselling lists.
“Even if private medical colleges have vacant seats, they can be able to have admissions only after a Supreme Court’s order. They will have to approach the SC and get permission to conduct admissions for vacant seats,” said Anand Rai, a whistle-blower in the Vyapam scam.
“If anybody offers admissions after October 7, the last date of counseling, without a Supreme Court’s order, it’s illegal.”
Former MLA Paras Saklecha, another whistleblower in the Vyapam scam, said he would file a petition in the high court over “irregularities in the counselling process.”
In a letter to the additional chief secretary (medical education) on Thursday, Saklecha demanded scrapping of offline counselling and transparency in the process as was assured by chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
Alleging a nexus between the government machinery and private medical and dental colleges, state Congress president Arun Yadav called for, though in a satirical note, “nationalisation of corrupt private colleges.”
He said, “The career of talented students would be spoiled again, like in the Vyapam scam, because of irregularities in the admissions.”
Last round of counselling
Police were called in following a chaos when offline counselling began on Friday evening after the online process ended. The counselling was supposed to go up to midnight.
“The police were called in as more than 5,000 people gathered for offline counselling and we received complaints that some people were trying to sell seats, said GS Patel, director of medical education. “As there was a chaotic atmosphere, we had to call the police to manage the situation.”
Sources said about 450 MBBS and 700 BDS seats were vacant in private medical colleges in the state.