Many private medical colleges in Tamil Nadu have begun their admission process for undergraduate programs amidst the NEET-UG 2024 fiasco, where irregularities such as paper leaks have surfaced, leading to the possibility of a re-test.
Some colleges are discreetly proceeding by ‘booking’ seats for money, while others are openly advertising their ongoing admissions.
They have started reserving seats for an advance payment ranging from ₹2 to ₹3 lakh. This practice has come to after many parents encountered such situations when going to the college for seeking admission details.
One of the student counsellor was quoted saying in a Times of India report that parents are instructed to meet with authorities on campus and are required to leave their mobile phones and electronic devices behind so that the clandestine transactions are not recorded.
Once the initial discussions are over, the candidates/parents are asked to pay ₹3 lakh to book a seat. Once this is paid, they are advised to choose the college affiliated with the deemed university as their first choice during the counselling round. If they obtain the seat, they will receive an annual discount of up to ₹3 to ₹5 lakh, with the advance payment being credited towards the first year’s fees. Additionally, students are provided with a scholarship certificate to further lower the fee, as per Times of India report.
Apparently, one university oversees more than 600 medical seats in its affiliated colleges and anticipates acquiring additional seats this year. They’ve expressed confidence to parents who have paid that a seat would be secured. Additionally, they promised a refund if they could be prove to the authorities that an allotment was not received despite selecting the colleges under the university as the primary choice.
In another college, after paying an advance of ₹3 lakh to ₹5 lakh, students submit their documents to the admission authorities, who then apply on their behalf during counselling. Admission managers have reportedly “guaranteed” seats to these candidates.
Parents are told to pay the fees in the first round itself, as cut-offs tend to rise in subsequent rounds for deemed universities.
Officials have condemned these activities as illegal. “Allotments to medical colleges are managed either by the Medical Counselling Committee of the Directorate General of Health Services or the state’s selection committee. They cannot collect any fee or donation in advance,” a senior official from the National Medical Commission was quoted saying.
Any allotments not approved by these agencies will be considered illegal. “We advise parents and students to be patient and not engage in these practices,” officials warned adding that the commission will take action if there are complaints with evidence.
It must be noted that several private medical colleges in Tamil Nadu are run by the members of DMK and AIADMK, both of whom are opposed to NEET as the exam has curbed the menace of capitation fee.
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