DMER panel gives clean chit to NY Tasgaonkar institute of medical sciences over 'unusual' 18 PG seat cancellations

With these findings, a state-level investigation into the matter, which had raised questions about how all the candidates admitted under these high-fee quotas withdrew their admissions simultaneously, has been completed.

According to a TOI media news report, a state government source said, “The committee said in its report that it had contacted all 18 candidates, who told the panel that they had voluntarily withdrawn their admissions.”

However, sources close to the scrutiny process said the panel relied on the phone numbers provided by the college, which had prepared the list of candidates placed before the committee.

Sources further said that some parents are preparing to approach the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) with supporting documents so that a detailed investigation can be conducted into the entire admission process and the manner of investigation in this matter.

Additionally, there will be no penalty because the seats have not lapsed. However, the rules governing private medical colleges state that "any candidate who vacates a seat in an unaided private or minority medical college after the due date will be required to pay a penalty of three years' fees."

Meanwhile, Dr Praveen Shingare, former head of the Directorate of Medical Education and Research, said that in his ten-year tenure as the competent authority for PG admissions, he had never encountered a situation where admissions under the institutional and NRI quotas were cancelled simultaneously.

"And even if such a situation had arisen. What prevented the CET Cell from preparing a fresh list of meritorious candidates willing to take admission in this college under the institutional and NRI quotas?", he said.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that A total of 18 postgraduate medical candidates at a private medical college in Maharashtra cancelled their admissions. Following this, the Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (Maha CET) cell called for an investigation into the 'unusual' en masse cancellations.

Subsequently, the medical college petitioned the Bombay High Court (HC) for a special institute-level round to fill the vacant seats. The court accepted the petition on Thursday, and the special round was scheduled for Friday and Saturday.

Candidates requested the withdrawal of their names more than a month after enrolling under the Institute (Management) and Non-Resident Indian (NRI) quota during the third and final regular round of MD/MS admissions at Dr NY Tasgaonkar Institute of Medical Sciences (NYTIMS), Karjat (Raigad).