EWS Quota in NEET is Backdoor Entry for the Rich: Rs.5 Cr MBBS Fees, Fake Certificates, Stolen Seats

EWS Quota in NEET is Backdoor Entry for the Rich: Rs.5 Cr MBBS Fees, Fake Certificates, Stolen Seats

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Nithish KUpdated on 04 Sep 2025, 11:29 AM IST
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In 2019, the Indian government introduced a 10% reservation under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category with a noble intention — to help economically disadvantaged upper-caste students access government institutions. But over the six years since its introduction, that policy has turned into a massive scam.

This Story also Contains

  1. EWS Category Fraud in NEET? Watch full video here
  2. Category-wise Reservation in NEET UG
  3. Eligibility Criteria for EWS Category
  4. EWS Scam in Deemed Universities: Rich Students Buy Rs.2 Cr MBBS Seats with EWS Tag?
  5. EWS Students Grabbing NRI Seats by paying fees in USD
  6. State NEET Counselling: The rot isn't confined to deemed universities
  7. Private Universities in Uttarakhand State Counselling & Fees Paid by ‘EWS’ Students:
EWS Quota in NEET is Backdoor Entry for the Rich: Rs.5 Cr MBBS Fees, Fake Certificates, Stolen Seats
EWS Quota in NEET

A close look into NEET 2024 counselling data, using records from both state and central levels, has found a serious problem. Many rich students are getting MBBS seats by using fake EWS certificates for NEET. These are students who claimed to be from the EWS category but, after failing to get a seat in government medical colleges in India, paid the management quota fees running into crores at private medical colleges. They paid between Rs.1.25 crore and Rs.5 crore to private medical colleges. The question that we must ask is - how can an EWS category student with little income and no wealth in property or land afford to pay such high fees? It suggests systemic rot and even corruption.

While these students taking seats in private medical colleges in India is not a concern, what should bother us is that students who are otherwise well off claim the subsidised seats in government medical colleges, thus taking away from a more deserving candidate. This is not only unfair but also shows a big flaw in the system that was made to help those who really need support.

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EWS Category Fraud in NEET? Watch full video here

Category-wise Reservation in NEET UG

This table shows the category-wise NEET reservation criteria that totals up to 59.5%, including the EWS, which is 10%

Category

Reservation %

EWS

10%

SC

15%

ST

7.50%

OBC-NCL

27%

Eligibility Criteria for EWS Category

To qualify as EWS, students must:

  • Have annual family income < Rs.8 lakh

  • Not own:


    • More than 5 acres of agricultural land

    • A flat larger than 1,000 sq ft

    • A residential plot over 100-200 sq yards

  • Not belong to SC, ST, or OBC-NCL categories

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Yet, what we’re seeing is students paying Rs.1.25 Cr to Rs.5 Cr in fees while claiming and getting certified as EWS candidates.

EWS Scam in Deemed Universities: Rich Students Buy Rs.2 Cr MBBS Seats with EWS Tag?

The admission process for all central institutions, deemed-to-be universities and the 15% all-India quota seats in state colleges is conducted through the MCC NEET counselling. The MCC is a central body under the Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. On the MCC’s watch, across 54 deemed universities, a staggering 378 students claiming EWS status secured seats. Look at the fees they paid:

List of Deemed Universities & Fees Paid by "EWS" Students:

SNo

College Name

Student

Count

Tuition Fee

Per Year

Total Course Fees

1

Vels Medical College and Hospital, Tiruvallur

11

3,344,000

16,720,000

2

Dr D Y Patil Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Pune

12

2,650,000

13,250,000

3

Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital, Chennai

5

2,550,000

12,750,000

4

GITAM Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Visakhapatnam

6

2,537,000

12,685,000

5

Bhaarath Medical College and Hospital, Chennai

5

2,500,000

12,500,000

6

SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Chennai

4

2,500,000

12,500,000

7

Sree Lakshmi Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences, Puducherry

3

2,500,000

12,500,000

8

Amrita School of Medicine, Faridabad

1

2,500,000

12,500,000

9

Amrita School of Medicine, Kochi

1

2,500,000

12,500,000

10

Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Kelambakkam

2

2,450,000

12,250,000

11

Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, Pondicherry

2

2,400,000

12,000,000

12

Santosh Medical College, Ghaziabad

2

2,400,000

12,000,000

13

Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University Medical College, Pune

5

2,360,000

11,800,000

14

Dr D Y Patil Medical College, Kolhapur

13

2,310,000

11,550,000

15

Dr DY Patil Medical College, Navi Mumbai Medical College, Navi Mumbai

7

2,310,000

11,550,000

16

Krishna Vishwa Vidyapeeth, Karad

15

2,300,000

11,500,000

17

Raja Rajeshwari Medical College and Hospital, Bangalore

6

2,300,000

11,500,000

18

ACS Medical College and Hospital, Chennai

4

2,300,000

11,500,000

19

Yenepoya Medical College, Mangalore

2

2,222,223

11,111,115

20

BVDU Medical College and Hospital, Sangli

14

2,210,000

11,050,000

21

Graphic Era Institute of Medical Sciences, Dehradun

5

2,200,000

11,000,000

22

Datta Meghe Medical College, Nagpur

5

2,200,000

11,000,000

23

Vinayaka Mission's Kirupananda Variyar Medical College and Hospitals, Salem

2

2,150,000

10,750,000

24

MGM Medical College, Aurangabad

19

2,100,000

10,500,000

25

MGM Medical College and Hospital, Navi Mumbai

18

2,100,000

10,500,000

26

Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute, Kancheepuram

9

2,100,000

10,500,000

27

Aarupadai Veedu Medical College and Hospital, Puducherry

6

2,100,000

10,500,000

28

Mahatma Gandhi Mission Medical College, Nerul

2

2,100,000

10,500,000

29

Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Wardha

17

2,075,000

10,375,000

30

Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital, Bhubaneswar

3

1,995,000

9,975,000

31

JSS Medical College, Mysore

1

1,986,650

9,933,250

32

Meenakshi Medical College Hospital and Research Institute, Kanchipuram

9

1,950,000

9,750,000

33

Vinayaka Missions Medical College and Hospital, Karaikal

7

1,950,000

9,750,000

34

Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Belgaum

4

1,920,000

9,600,000

35

Shri B M Patil Medical College, Vijayapur

13

1,900,000

9,500,000

36

Malla Reddy Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad

7

1,900,000

9,500,000

37

Sri Lalithambigai Medical College and Hospital, Chennai

4

1,900,000

9,500,000

38

Smt B K Shah Medical Institute and Research Center, Vadodara

5

1,875,000

9,375,000

39

Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar

5

1,850,000

9,250,000

40

Malla Reddy Medical College for Women, Hyderabad

12

1,800,000

9,000,000

41

JR Medical College and Hospital, Villupuram

8

1,800,000

9,000,000

42

Maharishi Markandeshwar Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Mullana

4

1,800,000

9,000,000

43

Sri Siddhartha Medical College, Tumkur

11

1,775,000

8,875,000

44

Sri Siddhartha Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Bengaluru

9

1,775,000

8,875,000

45

Jagadguru Gangadhar Mahaswamigalu Moorsavirmath Medical College, Hubli

9

1,760,000

8,800,000

46

Sri Devaraj URS Medical College, Kolar

3

1,760,000

8,800,000

47

Rural Medical College, Loni

19

1,750,000

8,750,000

48

KS Hegde Medical Academy, Mangalore

6

1,750,000

8,750,000

49

Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, New Delhi

3

1,600,000

8,000,000

50

Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital, Campus II, Phulnakhara

7

1,495,000

7,475,000

51

Manipal Tata Medical College, Jamshedpur

11

1,210,000

6,050,000

52

Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore

5

1,099,000

5,495,000

53

Kasturba Medical College, Manipal

4

1,099,000

5,495,000

54

Symbiosis Medical College for Women, Pune

6

1,000,000

5,000,000

Total

378



Despite being meant for financially disadvantaged students, the EWS quota in deemed medical universities has been grossly misused in NEET 2024 admissions. Shocking data reveals that 378 students claiming to belong to the EWS category secured MBBS seats across 54 deemed universities, not through government quota, but through management quota, by paying extremely high fees ranging from Rs.87.5 lakh to Rs.1.67 crore for 5 years. This translates into an annual expenditure of Rs.10-33 lakh on tuition alone.

These figures don’t include hostel, food, or other additional expenses.This clearly exposes a major violation of EWS eligibility norms, which require an annual family income under Rs.8 lakh and limited assets.

The data suggests widespread fraudulent use of EWS certificates, where affluent families falsely claim EWS status to secure medical seats and students with extremely low NEET ranks (even below 10 lakh) are buying their way into MBBS programs of private universities paying high fees.

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EWS Students Grabbing NRI Seats by paying fees in USD

In an even more shocking twist to the EWS quota misuse, NEET 2024 data reveals that some students who originally applied under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category went on to secure MBBS seats under the NRI (Non-Resident Indian) sponsored quota in deemed universities — by paying in US dollars or its equivalent in Indian rupees.

According to the counselling records:

  • A total of 33 EWS-tagged students were admitted under NRI quotas in 20 deemed universities.

  • The average total fee paid per student was a staggering Rs.2.13 crore for the full 5-year MBBS course.

NRI Seats Claimed by EWS Category in Deemed Universities by Paying in USD

SNo

Actual College Name

Student

Count

Tuition Fee

Per Year

Tuition Fee

Per Year(Rs)

Total Course Fees

1

Rural Medical College, Loni

2

USD 106700

9,133,520

45667600

2

BVDU Medical College and Hospital, Sangli

2

USD 85050

7,280,280

36401400

3

Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University Medical College, Pune

1

USD 85050

7,280,280

36401400

4

MGM Medical College and Hospital, Navi Mumbai

1

USD 54938

4,702,693

23513464

5

MGM Medical College, Aurangabad

1

USD 54938

4,702,693

23513464

6

Malla Reddy Medical College for Women, Hyderabad

3

USD 50000

4,280,000

21400000

7

Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, Pondicherry

1

USD 50000

4,280,000

21400000

8

Santosh Medical College, Ghaziabad

1

USD 50000

4,280,000

21400000

9

Sri Siddhartha Medical College, Tumkur

1

USD 50000

4,280,000

21400000

10

Krishna Vishwa Vidyapeeth, Karad

3

USD 45000

3,852,000

19260000

11

Sri Lalithambigai Medical College and Hospital, Chennai

1

USD 45000

3,852,000

19260000

12

Symbiosis Medical College for Women, Pune

2

USD 44865

3,840,444

19202220

13

Raja Rajeshwari Medical College and Hospital, Bangalore

1

USD 44000

3,766,400

18832000

14

Jagadguru Gangadhar Mahaswamigalu Moorsavirmath Medical College, Hubli

1

USD 40000

3,424,000

17120000

15

Dr D Y Patil Medical College, Kolhapur

3

USD 36000

3,081,600

15408000

16

Malla Reddy Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad

2

USD 35000

2,996,000

14980000

17

Smt B K Shah Medical Institute and Research Center, Vadodara

2

USD 35000

2,996,000

14980000

18

Shri B M Patil Medical College, Vijayapur

2

USD 29547

2,529,223

12646116

19

Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Wardha

2

USD 27500

2,354,000

11770000

20

Datta Meghe Medical College, Nagpur

1

USD 27500

2,354,000

11770000

This defies every principle behind the EWS policy. If a student qualifies as economically weak, how are they paying Rs.3–5 crore in foreign currency? These aren't just technical violations — they point to outright fraud and systemic corruption.

Worse still, many of these students had very poor NEET ranks – one had a rank of 6,61,975 – and yet secured admission solely by paying under the high-fee NRI quota.

The result?

  • Genuine EWS students are robbed of their seats

  • NRI quotas become a safe haven for fake EWS applicants

  • Merit is completely compromised, as money trumps all

This exploitation needs urgent attention. If a student uses an EWS certificate, they should not be eligible for high-cost NRI seats or even management quota seats, as it contradicts the basic premise of financial need. Regulatory bodies must audit such admissions, verify income sources, and ensure that EWS reservations aren’t misused as a paid backdoor for the rich posing as poor.

State NEET Counselling: The rot isn't confined to deemed universities

The misuse of EWS certificates isn’t limited to all-India or deemed university admissions; state-level medical counselling is equally affected. For state seats, medical counselling is conducted by state bodies.

Data from states like Uttarakhand and West Bengal show that EWS-tagged students are securing MBBS admission through management quota by paying fees well beyond what someone from an economically weaker background should be able to afford.

Private Universities in Uttarakhand State Counselling & Fees Paid by ‘EWS’ Students:

SNo

College Name

Fee Per Year

Total Course Fee

1

Himalayan Institute of Medical Science, Jolly Grant Dehradun

21,00,000

1,05,00,000

2

Himalayan Institute of Medical Science, Jolly Grant Dehradun

21,00,000

1,05,00,000

3

Gautam Buddha Chikitsa Mahavidyalaya, Dehradun

21,00,000

1,05,00,000

4

Gautam Buddha Chikitsa Mahavidyalaya, Dehradun

21,00,000

1,05,00,000

5

Gautam Buddha Chikitsa Mahavidyalaya, Dehradun

21,00,000

1,05,00,000

6

Gautam Buddha Chikitsa Mahavidyalaya, Dehradun

21,00,000

1,05,00,000

7

Shri Guru Ram Rai Institute of Medical & Health Sciences, Dehradun

20,00,000

1,00,00,000

8

Shri Guru Ram Rai Institute of Medical & Health Sciences, Dehradun

20,00,000

1,00,00,000

9

Shri Guru Ram Rai Institute of Medical & Health Sciences, Dehradun

20,00,000

1,00,00,000

Out of a total of 225 MBBS seats, 9 were taken by students under the EWS category through the management quota. Each of these students paid between Rs.1 crore and Rs.1.05 crore for the full course. Even though the state follows a transparent counselling system, these so-called economically weaker students were able to afford Rs.20–21 lakh per year in fees. This raises serious doubts about whether they truly belong to the EWS category, highlighting possible misuse of the reservation meant for the genuinely poor.

It’s Time Students and Parents Speak Up

The EWS reservation policy was introduced to promote fairness and uplift truly disadvantaged students. But today, it’s being blatantly misused by those who are neither poor nor deserving—using fake certificates, buying MBBS seats worth crores, and robbing opportunities from genuine candidates.

This is not just a loophole—it’s a systemic failure that threatens the integrity of medical education, meritocracy, and social justice.

Until the students and parents start speaking up, the EWS quota will remain a backdoor for the rich—destroying trust in the system, damaging merit, and pushing genuinely poor students out of an education field they deserve to be part of.

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Questions related to NEET

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Hello

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Hello,

To secure a NEET All India Rank (AIR) under 19,000, you generally need to score around 540-560 marks in NEET. In AIATS (Aakash All India Test Series), this usually corresponds to being consistently in the top 2,000-2,500 ranks nationally.

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Hello,

To get into a Delhi government medical college via NEET UG, a general candidate and an EWS candidate need higher scores (often 650-700+), while OBC/SC/ST scores are lower but still competitive, with specific marks varying by college and quota (State/AIQ).

I hope it will clear your query!!

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