Chennai: “Round 2 is your next chance. Pre-book your MBBS seat,” flashes a social media advertisement, replete with a phone number—a pitch that aims to circumvent the regulated medical-admissions process.Several private medical institutions hold discreet on-campus consultations, offering scholarships, fee discounts and other incentives, parents say. Candidates are asked to enter their names in a register and lock choices only for medical colleges affiliated with the university in the upcoming counselling round. “We were told we can try other colleges in the third or subsequent rounds if we don’t make it this time,” said R Elangovan, whose nephew is seeking admission this year.Now, institutions like Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Institute of Research and Technology have made the practice public through social media advertisements. When TOI called the number on their Instagram ad, someone from the “admissions department” of Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Institute of Medical Sciences and Hospital said admission could be secured in one of two medical colleges under the university—at Perambalur or Samayapuram. “Bring your NEET admit card and scorecard to the college for further discussion,” he said.Medical college dean Dr V Visvanathan, however, said the advertisements had been issued by consultants hired by the management. “You can’t pre-book seats. Admissions to our colleges are done by the central counselling committee,” he said.National Medical Commission chairman Dr Abhijat Chandrakant Sheth earlier told TOI that it was illegal for any institution to solicit or admit students directly. Under NMC rules, UG admissions must be conducted through central or state counselling authorities in a single-window online process. Admissions done outside this process would be cancelled with action initiated against the institution, he said.Experts demanded action against misleading advertisements. “They could create the impression that seats can be secured outside the merit-based system,” said student counsellor Manickavel Arumugam. “Desperate parents and first-time applicants may not know the rules.”
