NEW DELHI: Even as the fake degree involving former Delhi Law Minister Jitender Singh Tomar is yet to die down, another major fraudulence has come to light.
The Medical Council of India (MCI), the country’s medical education regulator, has found that fake certificates were submitted by medical faculties while submitting applications for establishing new medical colleges.
The MCI observed that five faculty members had submitted fake experience certificates in the application for setting up a new medical college by Rajiv Memorial Academic Welfare Society at Akbarpur in Mathura .
Similarly, it was found that nine faculty members had submitted fake certificates with the application for establishment of a new medical college by Puran Chand Dharmarth Trust at Kaithal in Haryana.
The MCI also found that in some of these cases, many staff members were unable to recognise their colleagues and resident doctors. On verification, it was found that no work output data of individual faculty and residents was available. No past attendance record was available either. Most of the faculty and residents did not possess an ID card. The MCI also observed that faculty members of clinical departments appear to be present in name only as they did not know the names of their superiors or juniors in the department. Interestingly, some faculty members have submitted fake telephone bills as proof of residence.
In one of the cases, while giving legal opinion, the Additional Solicitor General had said, “Indulging in malpractice of forgery and fabrication is a serious offence in law and the same cannot be taken lightly. Especially in the case of medical education as the same will affect the quality of medical education provided by an institution.
The institution which indulges in forgery and fabrication should be penalised as contemplated by statutory provisions as their actions affect the career of students pursuing MBBS education and may eventually affect the citizens.”
Concerned with the submission of fake or forged certificates by the faculty members,the MCI decided to apply Clause 8(3)(1)(d) of Establishment of Medical College Regulation Amendment, 2010 (part II), April, 16, 2010 while considering the applications for new medical colleges.
As per the clause (d), if any institute is found to have employed a teacher with fake/forged documents and submitted the declaration form of such a teacher, such an institute will not be considered for renewal of permission/recognition for award of MBBS degree/processing the applications for post-graduate courses for two years-- the current academic year and the following one.
As far as application for the Medical College at Akbarpur in Mathura is concerned, the MCI found that fake experience certificates were produced by Dr Neety Singh, SR, Department of Radio-Diagnosis, Dr Vikas Chand Dubey, SR, Department of General Medicine, Dr Vivek Asthana, SR, Department of Anaesthesia, Dr Pankaj Kumar, SR, Department of ENT and Dr Mukesh Bharti, SR, Department of Orthopaedics.
The Executive Committee of the MCI decided to refer the matter to the Ethics Committee to take action against the faculty as well as the Dean of the college.
As far as application for establishment of new medical college at Kaithal in Haryana is concerned, it was observed that fake experience certificates had been submitted by Dr Anil Patel, Associate Professor, Physiology, Dr Suresh Kumar Jain, SR, Orthopaedics, Dr Supriya, SR, Pediatrics, Dr H S Chattwal, SR, Pediatrics, Dr Ghansham Dass Goyal, SR, Paediatrics, Dr Stuti Modi, SR, OBG, Dr Rakesh Kumar Grover, SR, Anesthesia, Dr Romesh Chand Mittal, SR, Anesthesia and Dr Pankaj Kumar Srivastava, SR, Ophthalmology. The MCI referred the matter to the Ethics Committee to take action.
In the case of renewal of permission for MBBS course of third batch (150 seats) of Malla Reddy Medical College for Women, Jeedimetla, Hyderabad, for the 2015-2016 academic year, it was found that most of the Residents of all clinical departments were absent in their respective department/ward and were not doing administering treatment in OPD/OT.
They did not know the names of the head of the unit and other Residents. No senior/junior Resident had bank account details and also no hostel possession letter on faculty verification/head count. So many staff members were unable to recognise their fellow staff members and their Residents.
On verification, no work output data of individual faculty and Residents was available. No past attendance record was available. The MCI has decided not to renew the permission for admission to third batch.
In case of Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences, Indore, MP, which applied for renewal of permission for admission of fifth batch of MBBS students, eight faculty members have not been considered as teachers, five senior Residents have not been considered as they are not staying on the campus.
Seven faculty persons have been found doing private practice, with timings overlaping with the institute’s timings. The MCI, has not only refused permission for admission, but has also referred the matter to the Ethics Committee.