Social media users are sharing a strange advertisement that shows the surprising cost of medical seats in Maharashtra. This advertisement, which offers MD Radiology seats for Rs 1 crore and MBBS seats for Rs 65 lakh, is aimed at those with low NEET scores.
The ad, published by a Maharashtra-based medical consultancy, promises seats in various undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) medical courses. The consultancy claims to help candidates with low NEET scores secure admission, boasting "Grab your seats with a low NEET PG/UG score" as its headline.
According to the ad, the consultancy offers MD Dermatology seats for Rs 95 lakh, MD General Medicine for Rs 90 lakh, MD Pediatrics for Rs 90 lakh, MD Pulmonology for Rs 80 lakh, MD Psychiatry for Rs 85 lakh, MD Anesthesia for Rs 70 lakh, MD Pathology for Rs 50 lakh, MD Anatomy for Rs 90 lakh, MS General Surgery for Rs 80 lakh, MS Orthopedics for Rs 90 lakh, MS Obstetrics and Gynecology for Rs 95 lakh, MS ENT for Rs 80 lakh, and MS Ophthalmology for Rs 80 lakh.
The consultancy lists several services, including form filling, submission, admission assistance, document help, regular counseling updates, college visits, monitoring rounds, and tracking seat cancellations. They urge interested candidates to contact them for free counseling and registration.
Social media users reacted strongly to the ad, expressing shock and confusion. Some questioned the legality of openly selling medical seats, while others criticized the system that allows such practices.
This ad surfaces amidst a series of controversies surrounding the NEET UG and PG exams this year. Allegations of a NEET UG 2024 paper leak first emerged in Bihar, leading to the arrest of 13 people, including examinees and their families. The Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of Bihar Police revealed that brokers involved in the scam charged aspirants between Rs 30 lakh and Rs 50 lakh for early access to the NEET UG 2024 question paper.
Several pleas have been filed in the high courts and the Supreme Court, demanding an investigation into the alleged paper leak scam. Some even called for the scrapping of the NEET UG 2024 exam and a retest.
Questions also arose about the National Testing Agency's (NTA) policy of granting grace marks to 1563 candidates due to lost time. The NTA later withdrew these grace marks and offered an optional retest, allowing candidates to keep their original scores if they chose not to retake the exam.
On June 22, 2024, the Central Government handed over the investigation of the alleged NEET UG 2024 irregularities to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The Ministry of Education stated that the decision was made to ensure transparency in the examination process.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/ Susmita Bhandary/MSM)
