When Mafia uses the Government as its puppet; Dr Neeraj Nagpal

Dr Neeraj Nagpal 

When NEET exam was brought about to standardise the entrance exam standards for those seeking admission to MBBS we all celebrated that it is now a blow to the private medical college mafia. Prior to NEET they would take money, hold their own exam and manipulate results to give admission to those who paid hefty sums beforehand. With NEET we all thought this manipulation will now stop since now those who do not qualify in NEET will not be allowed admission even in Private Medical Colleges.

Unfortunately looking at the NEET 2017 data the last qualifying score as per the 50th percentile was 130 out of 720 which is 18.2% marks in the NEET exam. The lowest score for admission under reserved categories was 14.8% marks. Those with high marks who could not take seats in private colleges due to high fees had to forsake medical career. There was also manipulations with seats in private medical colleges shown as blocked by meritorious students when they had actually taken admission elsewhere. At the last moment these seats were be shown vacant and those with low scores would be made to pay through the nose for these seats. Such shenanigans were unexpected but then in India before a law is made ways and means are found to subvert it.

Of the 10, 90,085 students who appeared 6,11,739 had been declared qualified in NEET 2017 by the 50th and 40th percentile principle. When there are only 60000 odd seats why did we need 10 times the number of qualified students. The reason pure and simple was to have a large pool of low ranking but eligible students from whom huge amounts could be negotiated by private institutions. If cutoff score of 50% had been kept maybe seats in private colleges would have been left vacant. But then are we so desperate for doctors that we will accept those who can pay but who score 14.8 % in an entrance test designed to test competence of students seeking admission in medical profession.

Such is the power of this mafia that they can abolish MCI which questioned them, they can bribe the judiciary, they can even get laws passed to favour them and promote their business. I fail to understand why our Prime Minister cannot understand one basic fact that unless the medical education is fair and corruption free, the medical profession cannot be. On an urgent basis Medical education needs to be taken out from hands of those who have made it a business but then since this is the stated policy of the current Government’s Niti Ayog, on basis of which the NMC Bill is made, I see no immediate solution.

Dr Neeraj Nagpal 
Convenor,Medicos Legal Action Group, Managing Director MLAG Indemnity,
Ex President IMA Chandigarh
Director Hope Gastrointestinal Diagnostic Clinic,
1184, Sector 21 B Chandigarh 
09316517176 , 9814013735
0172; 4633735, 2707935, 2706024, 5087794
email; hopeclinics@yahoo.com, hopelinics@gmail.com mlagindemnity@gmail.com