Dr. YSR University of Health Sciences in Andhra Pradesh is conducting an investigation into three private medical colleges accused of submitting fake permission letters from the National Medical Council (NMC) to fraudulently increase the number of medical seats they offer. According to the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Korukonda Babji, GSL Medical College in Rajamahendravaram, Maharajah Institute of Medical Sciences (MIMS) in Vizianagaram, and Shantiram Medical College in Nandyala are under scrutiny.
Initially, the university accepted these Letters of Permission (LoP), believing them to be genuine, and allocated additional medical seats accordingly. However, upon receiving information from the NMC that the letters were counterfeit, the university had to revoke the permissions. This has necessitated a redo of the seat allocation process.
For instance, GSL Medical College claimed to have received permission to increase its MD radio diagnosis seats from 10 to 24. Still, the NMC declared the permission letter as fake. Dr. Babji explained that the university had not received precise details about the number of seats fraudulently increased by the other two colleges.
Following the investigation, the university plans to report its findings to the government and publish updates on its website. Dr. Babji emphasized transparency and indicated that no information would be concealed. While the university has not yet taken action against the three colleges, Dr. Babji stated that the NMC has filed a police report.
The primary concern for the university at this time is expediting the admissions process. Dr. Babji acknowledged that they are racing to complete counseling on time, as they must adhere to the NMC’s deadlines. Legal actions and other measures will be taken after the admissions process is finalized.
This unexpected development has disrupted normal operations at the university and has alerted aspiring students to exercise caution when considering these colleges. Reports of fraudulent practices have circulated among medical students, and some applicants encountered prompts during counseling to select these nonexistent seats.
The NMC’s Medical Assessment & Rating Board (MARB) issued a public notice on September 5, revealing that GSL Medical College falsely claimed to have increased its MD-Radio Diagnosis seats from 10 to 24 based on a counterfeit letter from the medical council. MARB Deputy Secretary Arun Kumar Singh clarified that no communication had been sent to GSL Medical College regarding this matter, and the forged letter cannot be considered as valid permission.
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