A day after private medical colleges in Maharashtra threatened the state government of stalling the second round admissions to MBBS and BDS (dental) courses, sources said that state minister for medical education Hasan Mushrif will chair a meeting on October 4 to address the concerns.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Common Entrance Test Cell asked the colleges to complete the admission process as per the schedule, failing which legal action as per the provisions of the Maharashtra Unaided Private Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admissions and Fees) Act, 2015 would be initiated.
In a letter to the state’s medical education secretary, the Association of Managements of Private Medical and Dental Colleges of Maharashtra said, “The second round of admission process of MBBS students will be suspended at the institution level because of pending fee reimbursements from the government.” The second round of admission was notified by the state government on October L.
There are three regular rounds of admission, apart from the mop-up rounds to fill up available seats, if any. Sources said that scholarship funds are released by different departments (such as social justice, among others) and it does not come under the purview of the ministry. “It is true that scholarship funds for some colleges have not been released for four years, but it is wrong to hold the government at ransom,” a high-ranking official said on condition of anonymity.
Sources said that scholarship funds are released by different departments (such as social justice, among others) and it does not come under the purview of the ministry. “It is true that scholarship funds for some colleges have not been released for four years, but it is wrong to hold the government at ransom,” a high-ranking official said on condition of anonymity.
“It is not the fault of the colleges,” said a Pune-based medical education counsellor. “The government has not released the scholarship funds for years. How will the colleges function? There are different scholarships in Maharashtra: female students from marginalised classes get a 100% scholarship, while male students from those classes get 50%. Out of 100 allotted seats, no more than 35 students are regular students. Others get different scholarships. How does the government expect a college of 100 students to run from fees collected by just 35 students? The government must release the scholarship funds,” he said.
“This dispute is causing undue stress for NEET UG 2024 aspirants who already had to overcome numerous hurdles to reach the admission process. Further delays could lead to increased anxiety for both parents and students. It's crucial that the government and private medical colleges resolve this matter amicably to prevent long-term consequences for the students,” said activist Brijesh Sutaria.
However, S M Zakir, another social activist, differed in his views. “Private colleges have started working like a mafia and the government seems to take no action. Only students are going to suffer at the end,” he said.
