Uttarakhand cancels four MBBS admissions over fake quota certificates

The Uttarakhand Medical Education Department has cancelled the MBBS admissions of four female candidates after they were found to have submitted fraudulent documents to claim seats under the Freedom Fighter Dependent Quota.

The action followed the detection of suspicious certificates during the state’s NEET counselling process, prompting authorities to refer the documents to the concerned district administrations for verification.

Director of Medical Education Ashutosh Sayana said five candidates had initially been identified with suspicious certificates. The certificates were subsequently referred to the relevant district authorities, which cancelled them after verification.

“In Uttarakhand, NEET counselling is conducted entirely online and in a transparent manner. Candidates’ merit and results are displayed on the official website. Five candidates were identified as having suspicious certificates. The matter was immediately referred to the relevant district authorities, and the certificates were cancelled,” Sayana was quoted as saying by ANI.

Following the findings, police cases have also been registered against the accused students and their family members at Clement Town and Raipur police stations in Dehradun.

Sayana said the FIRs were filed under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Sections 318(4), 338 and 340, relating to cheating and forgery of documents.

“In the serious case, FIRs have also been registered against the accused students and their family members at Clement Town and Raipur police stations in Dehradun under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Sections 318(4), 338 and 340, pertaining to cheating and forgery of documents,” he said.

The department’s intervention came before the students could begin their medical education. The second round of NEET counselling is currently underway, while the new academic session has not yet started.

“The second round of counselling is currently underway, and the academic session has not yet started, so the students have not begun their studies. At the college level, certificates are physically verified at the time of admission,” Sayana said.

The department has now decided to strengthen verification of documents submitted during NEET counselling. Certificates used by candidates to claim benefits based on domicile or other categories will be physically sent to the authorities that originally issued them for verification.

“Going forward, certificates submitted by candidates who have benefited from Uttarakhand’s NEET counselling, whether based on domicile or any other category, will be physically sent to the issuing authorities for verification,” Sayana said.

The move is aimed at tightening scrutiny of eligibility documents and preventing candidates from securing medical seats through fraudulent claims.