Mumbai: On December 14, 2023, the Ministry of Ayush directed a number of Homeopathic colleges, who had violated rules to admit non-NEET candidates and those who couldn’t secure over 50% marks in Higher Secondary Examination, to penalties amounting to Rs 50 lakhs (for admitting students with below 50% marks) and Rs 25 lakhs (for admitting non-NEET candidates). Apart from the huge penalties, the colleges were also supposed to lose a certain number of seats for flouting norms to admit ineligible students.
Cut to October 3, 2024, and the aforementioned penalisations are yet to be enforced against many of those colleges. Lengthy court hearings – from the Bombay High Court (Bombay HC), the Supreme Court, and then back to the HC – have also in a way delayed justice for several eligible students who missed out on a seat as colleges chose to admit 155 ineligible students rather.
According to the 2023 directive by the Ayush Ministry, the state government was supposed to “ensure that no amount of penalty shall be charged in any form from any of the students of the college and the penalty fee shall be borne by the college management”.
“Furthermore, based on the responsibility undertaken by the state government through the NOC issued at the time of establishment of the college, the state authority should transfer irregularly admitted students to other recognised Homeopathic Colleges under the same university affiliation subject to the availability of infrastructure and seats,” the 2023 directive said.
That, however, was amended by the Ministry on June 24, 2024 and the students were allowed to continue their studies after the aggrieved students reached the Supreme Court and the apex court directed the Ministry to take a final call after considering the aspect of relaxation. The top court, however, did not stay the fine imposed by the Ministry on the colleges, which was earlier upheld by the Bombay HC. On 22nd August this year, the High Court again refused to stay either the penalties or the reduction of seats from those colleges.
According to parents and activists, the delay in implementation of the Ayush Ministry’s directives is tantamount to “delay in justice for eligible and hard working candidates”.
“Poor, meritorious students who worked day in day out, prepared for the NEET exam, and passed it have suffered because of these college’s actions. The culprits of this scam must be punished. If they are not punished strictly, this will become a trend and meritorious students will start to not believe in the system. The rules and regulations formed by competent authorities must be followed by colleges, otherwise students and parents will lose confidence in the credibility of the system,” said a father of a student who is studying in one of these colleges requesting anonymity.
S M Zakir, a social activist, added, “this is a total failure of the state government. The bureaucrats and politicians are selling the whole education system. It is happening so openly that 155 students have been granted admission without eligibility. This is not the fault of these students. The government must ensure that strict action is taken against the culprits.”
The Ayush Ministry said that the competent authorities should take action against the colleges that violated norms. “The Ayush Ministry has already taken stringent action against colleges involved in such practices. The Ministry is strictly against colleges not following due processes at the time of admissions and has accordingly directed penalties on those colleges. Now, it is in the hands of competitive authorities to implement the directions,” said Raman Gungralekar, Director, Directorate of AYUSH, Maharashtra Government.
