MUMBAI, Nov. 6 -- For aspiring doctors, every seat in a medical college is worth its weight in gold, a fact private medical colleges in Maharashtra are allegedly exploiting through alleged malpractices in admissions to undergraduate courses. According to complaints filed with the Admission Regulatory Authority (ARA) and shared with the State Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell, colleges are rejecting candidates on flimsy grounds, using illegal means such as phishing to block seats, and demanding fees upfront from students eligible for government scholarships. Students, meanwhile, are taking the fall. Sanjana Kori from Mumbai, secured admission to the BAMS (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) course in the first CAP round in an Alibag college. The college insisted on original documents and also asked for a cheque of Rs.1.08 lakh to "secure her seat". "When I refused, they said they couldn't confirm my admission," Kori said. "Finally, I gave in when they said I might lose the seat in later rounds." Later, Kori wanted to opt for a college in Virar. However, this college demanded the full fees, upfront, to confirm her admission, even though she had a full government scholarship. Kori filed a complaint with the CET Cell, ARA, and the Ayush Commissioner. Eventually, the Virar college was ordered to grant Kori admission without taking any fees. "Still, the college made me sign an undertaking that if the government failed to release the scholarship sum, I would have to pay the fees myself. It was exhausting. the constant emails, phone calls and visits," said Kori. According to parents, some colleges are cornering seats from the open category, for the institutional quota by rejecting candidates on flimsy grounds. "After the third CAP round, many private colleges reject students on grounds such as missing documents or payment delays. Once the centralised process ends, they convert these vacant seats into institutional rounds of admission or for the management quota. This fetches them three to five times more fees per seat," said Sachin Bangad, an activist from Latur, who has been helping aspirants with the admission process. "Once the centralised rounds end, colleges fill these seats directly through their own quota, charging exorbitant fees. This practice undermines the entire purpose of the state-run admission process," he said. This year alone, he claimed, at least 150 fake domicile certificates were detected during verification, and nearly 220 students were found to have submitted invalid documents, in alleged attempts by colleges to keep those seats vacant. "The CET Cell initiated inquiries and debarred these students, but colleges continue to use these means for profit," Bangad said. Parents say that while private colleges demand upfront payment of fees, often exceeding Rs.7.5 lakh, they also delay providing receipts or confirmation letters. Many students are unable to arrange these sums within short deadlines. In a letter to the CET Cell, a student from Vidarbha, who was seeking admission to the MBBS course in a college in Sindhudurg, said the college asked him to pay Rs.9,20,000 as fees, upfront, after the second CAP round. He refused. "After the third round, I was allotted the same college. When I reported to the college with a Rs.50,000 demand draft, required under the rules, the college asked me to pay Rs.8,70,000 as hostel fees and other charges. I refused, again, and did not take admission," said the student. In her letter to the CET Cell, a student said she was allotted a Pune-based private medical college for the BAMS course. "As per the government notification, girl students of EWS will not be charged any fees. But the college is asking to pay full fees as I filled my form from the open category," she wrote. She said the college had demanded Rs.1,85,000 as course fees, Rs.50,000 as development fees, and Rs.85,000 as hostel fees from her. A student from Nalasopara, who had secured admission in a Kolhapur-based private college teaching the BAMS course, was asked to submit a demand draft of Rs.7.5 lakh. When the family requested instalments, the college refused. A principal from a private medical college in Navi Mumbai admitted that institutions are under financial strain due to delays in government scholarship disbursements. "We understand students' difficulties, but we are helpless. The government has not released the full scholarship amount since 2022. Without funds, we can't pay teachers or manage operations. If the government releases scholarships on time, colleges will not insist on upfront fee payment," the principal said. Yunus Mohammed Shaikh, a parent from Nagpada, said a girls' college in Solapur teaching the BHAMS (Bachelor of Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery) course told visiting parents that they had not received the promised funds for subsidised education schemes. "The college said it would be impossible to run the college without collecting fees from students," said Shaikh. He said the government should treat scholarships as a "statutory expense," just like the salaries of government employees. In response to complaints received from students, Ayush director Vaidya Raman Ghurangalekar initiated an inquiry into six private Ayush colleges, two each from Mumbai, Pune and Nashik. However, parents claim the inquiry has made no difference. Ajay Chandanwale, director, Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) said, "We are addressing complaints on a case-to-case basis. Whenever there is a need for an investigation, we send our team for inspection at the colleges." Officials from the CET Cell claim admissions are being conducted according to prescribed guidelines. "Students must understand the rules and options they choose during registration. This helps avoid last-minute confusion," an official told HT. However, Shaikh argues that the system needs urgent reform. Parents are demanding that the CET Cell conduct surprise inspections at private colleges, publish real-time seat-allotment data, and punish institutions blocking seats or rejecting students without valid reasons. Bangad says that the National Medical Commission (NMC) and Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) must work more closely with the state CET Cell to prevent overlapping rounds and ensure timely sharing of admission data....