University unearths scam in admissions to medical PG seats

HANAMKONDA: Inquiries by Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences unveiled a loophole using which private medical colleges have been minting crores of rupees.

According to university authorities, private colleges are blocking postgraduate seats saying merit and all India quota students have applied for them. But facts are different. Private managements wait till all phases of counselling for PG admissions are over. There is a provision that in case students do not join the college even after getting selected, private managements can fill these seats under management quota. This way, managements are allegedly selling each PG seat for ₹ 2 crore.

There are 33 medical colleges under the University of Health Sciences. Nine of them are run by government, four by minorities and 20 by private managements. Admissions are going on for these colleges, including for PG courses.

While checking up the ongoing admission process, Kaloji Narayana Rao University registrar D. Praveen Kumar found some discrepancies in the merit list with regard to 45 applicants who had applied for counselling for admission into PG courses offered by respective private medical colleges. He wrote letters to those students asking whether they had applied for admissions into postgraduate courses. Most students replied in the negative.

Suspecting involvement of private medical college managements in the affair, Praveen Kumar brought the issue to notice of health minister T. Harish Rao. The minister asked the registrar to lodge a complaint against the private medical colleges in the respective police stations.

Speaking to media persons, the registrar explained that there are total 2,295 PG seats in 33 medical colleges under the KNR University of Health Sciences. Of these, 1,090 seats are under convener quota, 512 are under All India quota and 693 seats under management quota.

Irregularities have taken place for admission into more than 40 of these seats under the quota of private managements, which block the seats utilising the “Stay Vacancy” option. A complaint has been registered with the police commissionerate here, Praveen Kumar said.

A medical college student union leader said merit students as well those from outside the state can apply for management quota seats. Middlemen and managements of private medical colleges collude with regard to counselling for such seats. This year, after the last phase of counselling, 58 seats remained vacant with students who had applied not joining the respective colleges.

It is alleged that managements deliberately block seats in the name of merit students and those from outside the state. They then create an impression that the students have not joined the college. They then sell these seats to the highest bidder.

Student representatives have demanded a transparent re-counselling for the left over 58 PG medical seats.