₹1.2 Crore at Stake: Serious Questions Over Sudden Cancellation of 18 PG Seats at Karjat Medical College

Mumbai:

Can 18 doctors independently take the same decision at the same time—especially when that decision involves walking away from nearly ₹1.2 crore each in fees? This troubling question has emerged following developments at NY Tasgaonkar Institute of Medical Science, a Karjat-based medical college that began its postgraduate (PG) medical courses for the first time this academic year.

The institute received approval for 36 PG seats and was included in the Maharashtra admission counselling process only from Round 3. Records from that round show that all 18 institutional and NRI quota seats, which attract significantly higher fees, were marked as filled. However, four out of 18 subsidised state quota seats remained vacant.

What followed has sparked serious concern.

When the next counselling round commenced, the college informed authorities that no institutional or NRI seats were available. Yet, just days later—on February 20—the institute approached the Bombay High Court, claiming that all 18 students admitted under the institutional and NRI quotas had cancelled their admissions. On this basis, the college sought permission to fill the seats directly at the college level.

In its petition, the institute stated that it had received approval too late to attract adequate student response and that 29 of the 36 seats remained vacant after Round 3. Accepting this submission, the court granted relief.

However, parents’ representatives and education experts argue that a critical fact was not disclosed—that the institutional and NRI quota seats had already been shown as filled during Round 3 counselling.

Sudha Shenoy, a parent representative, alleged that the court was informed only about late permission and vacant seats, without clarity on the earlier admissions. She also questioned the adequacy of the state’s legal response in the matter.

As per the official admission brochure, PG medical admissions in Maharashtra are conducted exclusively online through the State CET Cell, leaving no scope for institutional-level discretion.

Confirming developments, a senior CET Cell official, Dr Siddhesh Nar, stated that the college emailed the CET Cell on February 26, claiming that all 18 institutional and NRI candidates had cancelled their admissions on February 24 and 25, along with submitted cancellation forms. Following this, the matter was referred to the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) for inquiry. The DMER has since submitted its report to the CET Cell, though its findings have not been made public.

Experts say the perfectly timed collective withdrawal demands deeper scrutiny. Key questions remain unanswered:

• Were the admissions linked through common IP addresses?
• Were demand drafts issued from the same banks or branches?
• How were original documents returned so swiftly?
• Were cancellation penalties actually collected?

Vacant PG seats filled without government oversight, experts warn, can seriously compromise the integrity of the medical admission system.

Repeated attempts to contact the college for clarification received only a brief response requesting messages. Detailed questions sent thereafter received no reply.

As authorities examine the DMER report, the case has once again highlighted concerns over transparency, accountability, and regulation in private medical education—an issue with far-reaching consequences for students and the healthcare system alike.