Dr. Ketan Desai was the president of the Medical Council of India from 2001to 2003 and led the Indian Medical Association. He completed his graduation in 1983, from the B.J. Medical College in Ahmedabad and later became a professor in the department of Urology at B.J. Medical College. Subsequently, he was appointed as the president of the Gujarat Medical Council in the 1990s. Thereafter, he was elected as the head of the Medical Council of India (MCI).
In 2002, the High Court of Delhi passed an order stating the dismissal of Dr. Ketan Desai from his post after he was found to be accountable for fraudulent practices and abusing the powers he held.
There were pieces of evidence of tampering with the inspection records for granting recognition to the medical colleges in Ghaziabad and Pune. Some sources mention that, in the year 2007 he returned to the MCI and was designated again as the president in the year 2009. He was also selected to be instituted as president of the World Medical Association in late 2010, but he was arrested on 23 April 2010.
When the details from Dr. Ketan Desai’s income tax raid were analyzed, a 6.5 million rupee receipt was found through the drafts of the bank in the names of his family members. Subsequently, when the court ruled on Dr. Ketan Desai’s allegations, he was dismissed from the position and arrested on 23 April 2010 by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) along with a few other doctors who were involved with him under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Thereafter, the medical council was dissolved by the government of India and replaced by National Medical commission (NMC). During further investigation by the CBI, 1.5 kg and 80 kg of silver was found. In further searches conducted by the CBI, it was found out that Dr. Ketan Desai, along with a few other doctors, demanded a bribe of Rs. 2 crores for granting recognition to a college in Punjab. During the investigation, Dr. Ketan was found to be possessing numerous palatial houses, assets held through proxies, and jewels.
Dr. Ketan Desai was also accused of two separate cases in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, which involved the scam of allowing private medical colleges for adding more students.
Later on, Dr. Ketan Desai was granted bail and he was suspended from the inauguration as president of WMA.
Sources state that an employee of MCI explained, how Dr. Ketan Desai managed to come out clean: It was discovered that an ineligible candidate was hired in the council and the candidate was also the blood relative of the member of the CBI investigation team who reportedly helped in negating the charges.
Some of the sources claim, the suspension was lifted after Indian Medical Association informed the World Medical Association that the charges were dropped, which the investigators alleged was "incorrect."
In India, the profession of medical education is known to be something that some way or the other always involves corruption and taking advantage of power. This is why they say, "corruption is endemic".
A vast number of Indian medical colleges have become corrupt. Lately, the practice of charging a hefty sum of money on top of regular medical education fees for the sake of admissions has increased immensely.
Corruption in the educational system of India is affecting future generations which is toxic and dreadful than the damage to finances. Education can be a measure to fight corruption if reformed. The most important step towards this would be self-evaluation and becoming more action-oriented and then only we can hope to put an end to corruption.
