After harassment complaints, Maharashtra plans to shift private medical college admission process to govt institutes

Mumbai: After repeated complaints from students about harassment during medical admissions, the state CET Cell is planning to shift the admission process for private medical colleges to designated government medical colleges.

Instead of asking students to report to private colleges, the CET Cell has proposed that the entire admission process, including document verification and fee payment fixed by the Fee Regulatory Authority, will take place at selected government medical colleges, following which admissions will be confirmed. 

However, the proposal is under consideration, and discussions are underway. Several meetings have already been held between the CET Cell, the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER), and the state medical education department to work out how the system will function.

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The move comes after serious allegations during the 2025 admission season, during which students reported instances of harassment across private institutions. At present, students allotted seats through the CET Cell's centralised process are required to report physically to the respective colleges within a stipulated timeframe to submit documents or pay fees to secure their seats, reports TOI. 

They claimed that each year, they were stopped at the gates of private colleges, coerced into paying full fees despite eligibility for concessions, and asked to pay amounts exceeding those approved by the Fee Regulatory Authority. There have also been allegations of students being confined within campuses until admission deadlines lapse, and even instances where the mobile phones of students and parents were taken away. Such incidents, according to them, led to some deserving candidates losing their seats.

If the new system gets approved then students will instead go to designated government medical colleges, submit and verify documents, pay fees as fixed by the Fee Regulatory Authority and complete admission in a monitored environment.

While DMER has flagged concerns over staffing requirements, the CET Cell has suggested that private colleges depute their own representatives to these govt centres, thereby avoiding additional burden on public infrastructure.

Officials added that representatives from medical education department and the CET Cell will be present to resolve grievances in real time.

According to TOI sources, the proposal will first be submitted to the medical education secretary and will then be sent to the law and judiciary department, as changes to the current admission framework may be needed before the 2026 admission cycle.

Commenting on this, Former DMER head Dr Pravin Shingare said, "It can mark a decisive shift in how admissions are conducted. For the first time, the entire process will be truly centralised in Maharashtra. If the govt clears this plan, it will send a strong message to students and parents that merit will be protected and any injustice to deserving candidates will not be tolerated."

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