National Medical Commission cancels 141 MBBS admissions in state

The Graduate Medical Education Regulations of 2023 (GMER-23) permit online admission processes, but the state CET cell went against this by instructing applicants to submit their applications via email

MUMBAI: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has announced the cancellation of 141 stray-vacancy-round MBBS admissions in the state which were conducted at the institute level through email communication. The NMC, which had earlier mandated that such admissions must occur centrally in an online format, is now facing criticism for its refusal to provide an alternative solution.

HT Image

On September 26, the state’s Common Entrance Test (CET) cell issued a circular for the institute-level round, providing an email address for applicants to use for admissions. This move drew objections from parents who believed it took away from the transparency of the admission process, especially when there were clear guidelines for conducting stray rounds online. The Graduate Medical Education Regulations of 2023 (GMER-23) permit online admission processes, but the state CET cell went against this by instructing applicants to submit their applications via email.

The NMC’s official notification, dated October 18, states, “It is informed that the notice issued by the CET cell has been found to be issued in clear violation of the NMC’s earlier notice.” The notification emphasises that the NMC does not recognise or validate admissions carried out at the college or institute level as per the state CET cell’s notification of September 26. The admissions of students who secured a seat through this process are now considered invalid and will be cancelled immediately.

Parents and representatives are now demanding answers from the CET Cell. “The CET Cell is at fault here. The NMC had clearly stated the rules for conducting online admissions until the last day; why did the state not adhere to them?” questioned Sudha Shenoy, a parent representative. Shenoy further suggested that vacant institute quota seats could have been converted into general merit seats and allocated to deserving candidates. She also questioned why the CET Cell altered the rules only for MBBS admissions when online admission rules were applied to BDS and all postgraduate courses.

Brijesh Sutaria, another concerned parent, stated, “Despite the NMC’s order and the concerns raised by parents, students are now suffering due to the CET cell’s mistakes.” Sutaria went on to demand the resignation of all the concerned bureaucrats, including the commissioner of the CET cell. Another parent who participated in the institute-level admission round also expressed frustration, saying, “We are not only losing our money but students are losing an entire year. How can an officer be so irresponsible when it comes to a student’s future? We followed all the rules provided by the authorities, so why should we be the ones to suffer? The government must intervene in this matter and provide relief to us.”

When questioned, an officer from the CET cell responded by saying, “We will seek guidance from the government and make further decisions.” Added an officer from the medical education department, “Some students have already filed a petition in the Bombay high court against the stray-vacancy-round process run by the CET cell, so the matter is sub-judice.”