‘Do we continue pursuing our dream or give up?’ ask Maharashtra's aspiring medical students
Maharashtra's private medical colleges have halted admissions due to unpaid scholarship dues, leaving aspiring students anxious and frustrated
Mumbai: “We are frustrated. Do we continue pursuing our dream or give up?”
This statement, made by the parent of an aspiring medical student while talking to HT, captures the anxiety and anger among several students and parents as dozens of private medical colleges across Maharashtra continue to deny admissions amid a standoff with the state government over unpaid scholarship dues.
Friday was the second consecutive day when admissions in the second round of the state-level quota for medical courses remained suspended, leaving thousands of aspiring doctors and dentists in limbo. Around 40 members of the Association of Managements of Private Unaided Medical and Dental Colleges (AMUPMDC) have suspended admissions, citing non-reimbursement of funds for several fee concessions offered to weaker sections of the society.
AMUPMDC claims its members have not received reimbursements for over a year and a half, severely impacting their finances. The association’s representatives met with medical education minister Hasan Mushrif on September 26 to discuss the matter. On October 1, they sent a letter to the ministry and the state common entrance test (CET) cell, warning they would stop admissions if the dues weren’t cleared.
The colleges followed through with their threat on October 3. On Friday, representatives of the association met with deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to resolve the matter, but since state finance minister Ajit Pawar was not present, the funds were not approved and the deadlock continued.
“We understand the students are affected, and we are not doing this on purpose,” said an AMUPMDC official. “But we’ve been asking for this payment for a long time, and the state government hasn’t taken us seriously.” According to the association, the state government owes each college anywhere between ₹30 crore and ₹50 crore, which has created an untenable situation for them to continue operations.
On Thursday, the CET cell threatened private medical and dental colleges with legal action for refusing to admit students, saying it violates the Maharashtra Unaided Private Vocational Educational Institutions Act, 2015. However, the colleges are refusing to relent.
The prolonged standoff is having devastating effects on students, many of whom have worked tirelessly to secure high scores in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) or NEET-UG, only to find their admissions blocked by the colleges.
“My daughter dreams of becoming a dentist,” said Sandeep More from Mumbai. “She had already secured admission to a dental college in Hyderabad through the All India Quota (AIQ). However, we decided against it due to the higher costs and challenges of studying out of the state. Instead, we opted for a seat in Maharashtra.”
More’s daughter received a state quota admission offer from a Pune-based college. However, by that time, the deadline to cancel their AIQ admission had passed. “Despite being offered a seat in Pune, the college denied admission due to the ongoing protest. We were left with no option but to wait,” he said.
Many parents like More are now considering sending their children abroad for medical studies, but the high costs pose a significant barrier. “We didn’t object to studying abroad, but finances are a big concern. We thought that if there’s a chance to study in our own state, why not take it?” said More.
Panvel-based Rashmi Kumar’s daughter scored an impressive 636 out of 700 in NEET-UG, which should have guaranteed her a seat. “We went to a medical college with all the required documents and the demand draft for fees. But after two hours of waiting, the college administration informed us they weren’t admitting students due to the protest. Even when I called the college the next day, they said the admission process had not yet started,” said Kumar.
For others, logistical challenges add to their stress. “Even if admissions resume tomorrow, it’s going to be very difficult to get the demand drafts from the bank and complete the process before the October 6 deadline,” said Amey Nikam, another worried parent.
Rajeev Nivatkar, the commissioner for medical education, acknowledged the situation, saying, “We are working on finding a solution to this issue.”