“Though admissions to medical/dental/engineering colleges are based on entrance tests, we can help you easily get a seat in top colleges if you are ready to pay us a reasonable package,” promises a leaflet brought out by a “medical consultant”.
Luring aspirants
This broker, who claims to be a doctor, is just one of the agents trying to lure postgraduate (PG) medical seat aspirants into coughing up money to secure seats under the management quota.
With the Supreme Court yet to give its verdict on the validity of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test, the demand for management quota seats has gone up.
Charges
Some “agents” are charging as high as Rs. 1.2 crore for a PG medical seat.
“So far, we arranged 31 PG seats all over India and all of them were taken up a month ago. If someone wants a seat, he/she will have to wait for cancellations,” the broker said.
This was the “general procedure” as “all seats are given on first come, first served basis.”
Experience
The broker, who claims to have “an experience of seven years in the field”, said candidates would have to pay Rs. 1.3 crore for on-the-spot seats in colleges in Bangalore. “It is difficult to get seats in radiology…They cost Rs. 1.5 crore. ENT and general medicine seats will cost Rs. 60 lakh,” he added.
However, PG seat aspirants across the State are not taking kindly to these “offers” from agents.
One of them from Mangalore, said: “Medical education is on sale. As we were coming out of the exam hall after writing the COMED-K PGET, pamphlets of a firm offering a “reasonable package” for admissions were thrust into our hands.
It is ironical that even after shelling out Rs. 40,000 for admission forms for writing multiple entrance exams, you can get MD/MS seats regardless of your academic performance if you have Rs. 15 crore to Rs. 25 crore.”
