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Admission scam: 891 students enrolled in UP’s Ayush colleges suspended
As many as 22 of these students were identified as those who got admission without even taking NEET-2021, the gateway for admission to MBBS, BDS, BAMS, BUMS, BHMS courses in the country
LUCKNOW The state government on Tuesday suspended 891 students who allegedly took admission to Ayush colleges across UP without scoring the cut-off marks in the NEET-2021 exam. This was the highest number of suspensions in one go in such an admission scam in the state. Many students were served notices and asked to prove that their admissions were not bogus.
As many as 22 of these 891 students were identified as those who got admission without even taking the national eligibility-cum-entrance-test (NEET), the gateway for admission to MBBS, BDS, BAMS, BUMS, BHMS courses in the country.
“All these 891 students will remain suspended till the probe is completed. Their admission shall be terminated, if it is found erroneous in the inquiry to be conducted by the CBI, for which the state government has already made a recommendation,” said Dayashankar Mishra, state’s AYUSH minister.
On November 4, the department of Ayurveda initiated an internal inquiry and then lodged an FIR, after it came to light that many students got admission to Ayurveda, Unani and Homeopathy colleges in violation of rules. The Ayush minister wrote a letter to the chief minister’s office, seeking a high-level inquiry from an independent agency and the state government recommended a CBI probe into the admission anomalies.
“There is a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption. The fate of all these students under suspension and also officials under scanner will depend on the outcome of the inquiry. None will be spared, if found guilty,” stated the minister.
Many of the suspended students were issued individual notices asking them to submit proof of their NEET-2021 result and also documents submitted by them at the time of counselling.
“During cross-checking of documents, the NEET website stated invalid application number/date of birth against your name. This makes your admission via NEET doubtful, hence you need to submit the related documents within seven days, else legal action will be initiated,” stated a common letter (with individual names) to all such students whose admission is under doubt.
Many of the 891 students reached the directorate to submit their proof of admission. “Our details are being shown on NEET website. We request the department to consider continuing our admission,” said one of the students who had come from Meerut.
Two senior officials were suspended and two others also faced departmental inquiry, as decided by the state government. “We will get to the root of the matter and make sure such a thing is not repeated,” said the minister.
In the FIR, lodged by director, Ayurveda, Prof SN Singh, it was stated that as the department did not have its own IT cell, Uptron Powertronics, a government-recognised technology company, was handed over the work of conducting online counselling. Later, V3 Soft Solutions Pvt Ltd, was made the vendor company for the job, by the firm that took up the work initially.
Police registered the FIR after it was alleged that some irregularities were found during the online counselling for admissions for NEET 2021-22.
