47 Doctors in soup for Submitting Fake embassy Certificates for PG Medical Admissions under NRI Quota

Chennai: Taking action against 47 doctors, who had submitted fake embassy certificates to secure postgraduate medical admission under the NRI quota, the Health Department of Tamil Nadu has lodged complaints against them before the Commissioner of Police A Arun.

Further, the details of eight MBBS aspirants, who also submitted similar fake embassy certificates, were submitted to the police to take legal action, TN Health Minister Ma. Subramanian informed on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Selection Committee of the Directorate of Medical Education and Research has cancelled the candidature of these 8 MBBS and 47 PG medical candidates after finding out that they had submitted fake embassy certificates for admission under the NRI quota.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that unveiling a postgraduate medical admission scam in Tamil Nadu, the DME had found during verification by the selection committee that at least 44 doctors had faked their certificates in their applications for admission under the non-resident Indian (NRI) quota.

Reportedly half a dozen embassies/consulates of countries, including those in the US, Dubai, Singapore, Australia, and Kuwait, recently confirmed the "ingenuity" of certificates submitted by these candidates.

Also Read: 44 Doctors for Submit Fake Certificates for PG Medical Admissions under NRI Quota, Committee to take action

As per the latest media report by The Hindu, TN Health Minister Ma. Subramanian recently informed that they have lodged complaints with the Commissioner of Police against these 47 doctors who submitted fake embassy certificates to secure postgraduate medical admission under NRI quota. Details of eight MBBS candidates were also submitted to the police as they had also submitted such fake embassy certificates.

"To initiate legal action, we have lodged complaints with the Police Commissioner against them," Minister Subramanian told the reporters at the sidelines of an event held at Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University.

The Minister informed that in the case of undergraduate medical admissions, authorities found that eight candidates had submitted fake embassy certificates and four of them were allotted seats. After the certificates were confirmed as fake, the authorities cancelled the seat allotment for three and the fourth candidate approached the Court. Subramanian further informed the Daily that police have started the probe to identify the persons involved in forging the certificates.

"The State government has taken action against all eight UG candidates, and admissions of three of them have been cancelled. One candidate has approached the court, and the remaining four have not been allotted seats. The government has also filed a police complaint against these candidates and is investigating further," the Minister informed, DT Next has reported.

"Additionally, 47 candidates who submitted fake embassy certificates for postgraduate medical admissions have been identified and a police complaint has been filed against them as well," Subramanian mentioned, further adding that the State is taking strict action against those who submit fake certificates. He also informed that this is the first time that such a large-scale discrepancy has come to the light.

"The investigation is ongoing, and the government is working to prevent such incidents in the future," he added.

As per the rules, up to 15% of the seats in the private medical institutes are set aside for the NRI quota and remain reserved for students with NRI/OCI/PIO status. Candidates whose parents or relatives (one of the eight categories, such as sibling, grandparent, uncle or aunt) are living abroad are eligible to apply under this category. 

Officials in the selection committee told the Times of India that they received such fake certificates from doctors in 2023 as well. Commenting on this, a senior official told the Daily, "At least 20 doctors were made ineligible in 2023. We did not allow them to take part in counselling but did not file a police complaint."

Meanwhile, parents and counsellors have alleged that agencies were calling candidates and offering them such fake certifications for a fee up to Rs 1 lakh. Speaking to TOI, R Murali, whose nephew is awaiting a postgraduate seat said, "My brother refused to encourage touts. But they told us how many candidates have been successfully allotted seats in self-financing medical colleges and deemed universities. Everything happens over phone calls."

"It is an ethical violation, and doctors can be debarred from practice," said the former TN State Medical Council president Dr K Senthil.

Also Read: TN Medical Council Files Complaint Against Doctor for Practicing with Cancelled License