Alleging that candidates selected through Centac counselling for PG medical and dental courses under the State quota were either denied admission or were being admitted under unjust conditions in medical institutions in Puducherry, Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi on Saturday said: “We have on record from the candidates the kind of exploitation, violations and irregularities that they have been put through.”
Several candidates who were denied admission for not remitting the fees demanded by the self-financing medical colleges and deemed universities were present at Raj Nivas on Saturday morning for a meeting convened by the Lieutenant Governor to get their feedback on grievances related to the admission process.
After collating the feedback forms from the candidates, the L-G told the media: “The candidates have come here on our request. Each one of the students has suffered in one form or the other. We wanted to hear them out as to what has transpired during the process of counselling or admission. They have given us very valuable feedback of irregularities and injustice meted out to them at such an important point of their life. We have heard them and will proceed on what is needed to be done.”
A common complaint, she added, was that some medical institutions were asking for an unjust bond stipulating that after completing the course, the candidates would have to work for the institution for a specific duration.
“We will put in place a system to ensure that the undergraduate students do not undergo what the PG students experienced,” she said.
Parents agitated
Harried parents of candidates who were denied admissions in the self financing medical colleges and deemed universities in Puducherry waited at Bharathi Park for nearly three hours in anticipation of a solution to the imbroglio.
The parents told The Hindu that a few self-financing colleges and deemed universities were forcing the candidates to sign a bond that states they have to work in the medical colleges for five years after completing the PG courses. “Nowhere in the country has any institution asked the students to sign such a bond at the time of admission. Those who have refused to sign are denied admission,” said the father of a candidate on condition of anonymity.
Another parent added their son was asked to pay ₹35 lakh in addition to ₹5.5 lakh demand draft (DD) remitted at the Centac office. “What is the purpose of conducting counselling or constituting a Fee Committee? Why has the government not approached the courts? They could have filed contempt of court case against these institutions that are violating the law,” he said.
“It has been a month since we slept in peace,” said a mother. Her daughter who got a seat under merit list through Centac counselling under state quota was denied admission in a deemed university. “We need a solution. How long does the government expect us to run for admission? Why cannot they frame clear guidelines for the institutions and ensure that they follow them?,” she said.
Another parent claimed that his daughter was refused admission in a private medical institution even after the the Health Minister intervened. “This is happening despite the UGC giving clear guidelines. The second counselling had to take place only after the candidates selected in the first counselling were admitted in the colleges. We have lost so many seats under state quota because of this uncertainty,” he said. Many parents said their children would have easily got a seat in other States. “As the Centac counselling was conducted many were confident that they could pursue the course in Puducherry.
