Pune: The Commissioner of Medical Education Research and AYUSH has ordered an investigation into complaints regarding irregularities in the admission process of private unaided medical colleges in Maharashtra.
Allegations include the collection of exorbitant development fees and financial transactions occurring during the admission process under the institutional quota.
The inquiry will focus on nine prominent medical institutions, including Kashibai Navale Medical College and MIMER Medical College, with a report expected to be submitted to the director's office within eight days.
The State Common Entrance Test Chambers are currently conducting admissions for MBBS and BDS degree programs across various government and private medical colleges in the state.
Approximately 15% of seats in private colleges are reserved for admissions through the institutional quota. Typically, a fee regulatory authority appointed by the state government determines the fees for courses at these colleges, which includes both academic and development fees.
To secure admission under the institutional quota, a decision has been made to charge fees three times the regular amount, and colleges are required to publish this fee information on their websites.
However, during the two rounds of admission, many of these institutional quota seats appear to remain unfilled, leading to complaints that colleges are not honoring the merit-based admissions process.
Despite students applying based on their financial situations, many were denied admission for various reasons, resulting in these seats remaining vacant in both admission rounds.
Furthermore, there are serious accusations against medical colleges for extorting students and parents under the guise of development fees. Colleges are reportedly charging an additional fee of up to 10% of the total fees, with actual amounts ranging from ₹50,000 to ₹2 lakh.
Additional charges for various services, including ID cards, health clubs, and laboratory facilities, have also been reported, amounting to further financial burdens on students.
Following colleges are set to undergo scrutiny:
Kashibai Navale Medical College, Narhe, Pune
MIMER Medical College, Talegaon-Dabhade, Pune
Ashwini Medical College, Solapur
MIMSR Medical College, Latur
Terna Medical College, Navi Mumbai
Vedanta Medical College, Palghar
Dr. N. Y. Tasegawkar Institute of Medical Sciences, Karjat
Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical College, Pune
Prakash Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Islampur, Sangli