After Madhya Pradesh and Haryana, a medical admissions scam seems to be brewing in coastal Andhra Pradesh's Rayalseema region. Despite a good rank in entrance examinations, many students claim they have failed to secure a MBBS seat in any of colleges leaving them helpless, angry and disappointed.
"Why take seats of a meritorious student? Follow rules and regulations. Children with money and recommendations are getting seat but bright students are left out," said Swarna Latha, mother of a medical aspirant.
At several colleges where an aspirant, Vidhupriya, thought she would definitely make it to the merit list, she was turned down. In one of the instances, she claims she is sure that her seat was sold for a better price.
In 2015, Vidhupriya says she got a call for admission from Padmavathi Medical College in Tirupati but she was refused admission.
"I went for counselling. Just as it started, the process was stopped for an hour. We were told there is some technical issue with the system. Before counselling there were lot of seats vacant in Padmavati Medical College. After sometime when session started, we were told, all seats have been filled," Vidhupriya said.
Another aspirant Saishree from Kurnool says she also witnessed the medical admissions racket. After shortlisting and virtual selection for an MBBS seat at Kurnool Medical College, college authorities just pulled the plug. She ended up without a seat anywhere.
Government colleges are also doing illegal admissions. They block seats and do not even show it in second counselling. Many seats are sold out, Saishree alleged.
An RTI reply confirmed alleged bungling and irregularities in all 10 state and private medical colleges affiliated to the NTR University of Health Sciences. Complaints arose when seats reserved for local students were found given to outsiders who paid a commission. Nearly 100 admissions were enabled fraudulently, with talk of each seat having been sold at between Rs 80 lakh to Rs 1 crore.
RTI activist Marri Ramana, who has taken up the cause, said the rot runs deeper and has called for a CBI probe.
Even the website of at least one of the medical colleges -- Narayana Medical College -- shows up a definite political link. Andhra Pradesh's Minister for Municipal Administration P Narayana is a founding member of the Narayana group of Educational Institutions.
When CNN-News 18 questioned the Kurnool Medical college management, they termed allegations of an admission a cooked up story.
"We have no power in admission process. Admissions are done through NTR University. They only allot seats as per reservations. We do no take students directly. At college level nothing is happening," said Prabhakar Reddy, Vice Principal of Kurnool Medical college.
It is no hidden fact that medical seats are sold for crores in the country. But the RTI nails the colleges directly who block seats and indulge in irregular admissions.
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