Jharkhand introduces new SOP for medical admissions, fake certificates to invite strict action
Ranchi, Aug 14
In a bid to curb fraud in admissions to medical, dental, and AYUSH colleges, the Jharkhand government has introduced a new standard operating procedure mandating stringent verification of candidates' documents and warning of strict legal action against those found using fake certificates.
According to an official note issued by the Department of Health, Medical Education and Family Welfare on Friday, any candidate securing admission on the basis of forged or incorrect certificates will face immediate cancellation of admission and criminal proceedings, including the registration of an FIR.
The new SOP has been implemented to make the admission process through NEET-UG and NEET-PG more transparent and foolproof.
Under the revised system, domicile, caste, income, and disability certificates submitted by applicants will undergo online verification. If necessary, physical verification will also be conducted.
To strengthen scrutiny, the Jharkhand Combined Entrance Competitive Examination Board (JCECEB) has constituted high-level verification committees. For MBBS, MD and MS admissions, the committee will comprise admission in-charges from RIMS and government medical colleges, representatives of the Health Department and special officers of the examination board.
Separate committees have also been formed for BDS, MDS, and Ayush courses.
In addition to state-level checks, institution-level committees have been established at RIMS Ranchi and other medical colleges. These panels, headed by the director, principal or dean, will re-examine the original documents submitted by candidates.
The SOP stipulates that caste, income, domicile and disability certificates will be verified through designated government online portals. If any document is found suspicious during digital verification, the case will be referred to the district Deputy Commissioner concerned for physical verification.
District authorities will be required to submit their reports within 10 working days. Until the verification process is completed, such candidates will be granted only provisional admission.
Final admission will be confirmed only after all credentials are authenticated.
The government has further clarified that if any certificate is found to be forged during the verification process, the principal of the institution concerned will immediately cancel the admission and initiate legal action by filing an FIR.
The SOP also mandates the secure preservation of all digital and physical documents submitted during admission, enabling future re-verification whenever required.
The new guidelines will apply to RIMS Ranchi and all government and private medical, dental, homoeopathic, ayurvedic and Unani colleges across Jharkhand.
— IANS
Reader Comments
This is a much-needed step. But I hope the verification process doesn't become another hurdle for honest students from rural areas. Many of our villages don't have proper internet connectivity or access to these online portals. The government should ensure that genuine candidates don't suffer due to administrative delays.
The 10-working-day timeline for district verification is reasonable. At least now there's a structured process. Earlier, it was too easy for people to submit bogus caste certificates and take away seats from deserving candidates. FIR filing is the right deterrent. 🙌
Transparency in medical admissions is a global concern. It's encouraging to see state governments taking proactive measures. The dual-level verification (institution + state) seems thorough. Hopefully, this model gets adopted by other states as well.
As a medical aspirant myself, I feel relieved. It's disheartening to see students with fake reservations getting admission while meritorious candidates miss out. However, I'd like to see similar scrutiny for management quota seats too. The government should ensure no loopholes remain.
Strict action is welcome, but I'm concerned about the implementation. In the past, such SOPs have remained only on paper. The high-level committees are good, but will they have the manpower to physically verify documents for all candidates? Let's wait and see how it works on the ground.
S We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.