Mumbai: More than 10 students from the College of Physicians and Surgeons (CPS), Mumbai, have allegedly enrolled and are studying and simultaneously appearing as “dummy teachers” at a Chiplun-based medical college, according to a complaint lodged by NGO, Forum Against Commercialisation of Education (FACE), with the CPS and Medical Council of India (MCI). After the complaint was registered, the MCI and Maharashtra University of Health Science (MUHS) probed its veracity and found out that the allegations were spot on. The authorities are considering taking action against the college.
According to MCI guidelines, students cannot be teachers and teachers must be full-timers.The matter came to light after the Chiplun-based college claimed it had 250 teachers. Dr Vivek Korde, president, FACE, said, “While the Fee Regulatory Authority and MCI gave a clean chit, the MUHS’ response to our RTI showed a different picture about things happening inside the Chiplun college. Out of this fake 250 figure that the college showed, 10 turned out to be students who are still practising and learning. It is impossible, legally, for them to teach and study at the same time.”
When contacted, Dr Girish Maindarkar, president, CPS, said, “CPS is the oldest examining body and our work is to recognise institutes across the state. Like the B.K.L Walawalkar Rural Medical College, Chiplun, where we have sent our students for training.”
When asked why, as alleged by FACE, students were teaching as well as studying at the same time, Dr Maindarkar said, “When the inspecting team visited the institute for checking students and teachers, and other formalities, the Walawalkar College named students as ‘residents’ instead of PG students in training. The meaning of ‘resident’ is full-time working people and hence, it is not wrong, as these students will be staying for two years till they have completed their training. The only thing that was wrong was the change of designation from PG students to residents”.
