NEET UG: How a 22 Lakh Rank Student Got a Government MBBS Seat; NMC Responds

NMC’s Response to the Controversy

On August 4, NMC issued a notice on nmc.org.in addressing the irregular admission of ineligible candidates to MBBS seats in India. NMS has announced that the irregularity was on account of erroneous data submitted by the colleges on the NMC portal. However, this explanation smacks not only of shifting blame to the college but also raises more questions.

NMC’s claim of a clerical error seems invalid considering that this data not just appears on the NMC portal but also the respective college websites under the admitted students lists. In addition, the question still remains: how could the NEET marks, rank, and percentile of the students all appear wrong at the same time? The after questions that come after this explanation make it hard to believe that this was just an innocent data entry slip.

Must check: 16 NEET 2024 unqualified students got MBBS admission in government colleges

Check the NMC notice for the same

To get to why this raises more suspicions, we need to look at how the process works once the NEET admissions are closed.

College Lists and NMC Data - Process and why it cannot be a simple error

Once admissions are closed, the college admission list is usually the first official record that is finalised with details of the admitted students. Later, these details are sent to the NMC portal for verification and to be entered into the central database. In this case, these unqualified students not only appeared in the college records but also were visible on the NMC website.

This either means that verification was not done or was bypassed, that too at two levels; one at the college level and second at the NMC level. In both cases, this raises more questions on not just the sanctity of the admission process but also on the so-called foolproof NEET admission process, one of the toughest ones in the country.

This actually is not just unfair to the medical aspirants who have worked hard for a year or so, but also creates the impression of a mockery of the system that was set up to combat incompetence and ensure fairness to all.

The very fact that students who did not even pass the exam in layman's terms got into government colleges, which are hard to get even for high rankers of NEET. It raises more questions on the transparency of the admission process and is a strong case on the need for a detailed investigation.

We list the case examples for better understanding. The marks and the ranks clearly highlighted show that these students should not even have been considered, let alone get a seat.

Case example 1: Admission at Katihar Medical College in Bihar

Check: Admitted students’ list of Katihar Medical College

Case example 2: Admission at Prafulla Chandra Sen Government Medical College & Hospital

Check: Admitted students’ list of Prafulla Chandra Sen Government Medical College & Hospital

Serious loopholes in NEET UG Counselling?

These examples showcase serious loopholes in the NEET counselling and admission process. If unqualified students, who did not even clear the NEET exam, can be listed on both the college admission list and on the NMC portal, thereby confirming their admissions, it means something is not just wrong but grossly unfair in the system.

NEET is supposed to be a fair and transparent exam where every student is given a seat strictly based on marks and rank. It is also the exam with the strictest rules of admissions to ensure the prevention of unfair means. Lacks of students prepare for years, spend long hours studying, and even take expensive coaching just to clear the exam and get a government medical seat. When all of that is blatantly disregarded with the admission of undeserving students, the very sanctity of the admission process comes into question.

A mere explanation is not enough. NMC should get to the core of the issue and ensure a proper investigation that brings to light any loopholes that exist and eradicate them. The hope of lakhs of medical aspirants lie with NMC and it is but right that it ensures their trust and faith are retained in the system.