Mumbai: Private medical colleges in Maharashtra halted MBBS admissions on Thursday after the Unaided Private Medical and Dental Colleges of Maharashtra decided to stop the second round of the admission process for first-year MBBS students due to pending fee reimbursements.

The Association of Management of Unaided Private Medical and Dental Colleges (AMUPMDC) highlighted that hundreds of crores in fee reimbursement are still pending, jeopardizing the sustainability of these institutions.

The State Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell responded to the colleges' decision to halt admissions by threatening legal action against private medical and dental colleges for denying students admission. The CET Cell issued a notice, stating it would recommend disciplinary measures to the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS), which oversees all medical institutes in the state.

AMUPMDC represents over 40 unaided private medical colleges in Maharashtra. In late September, the association met with the Medical Education Department of Maharashtra to address the issue of pending fee reimbursement. Despite meetings with the state government, AMUPMDC claims no demands were met, forcing the colleges to suspend the admission process.

The second merit list for MBBS and BDS courses was released on October 1, while the first round of admissions is already complete. AMUPMDC stated that during a September 26 meeting with Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif, the association raised concerns about the pending reimbursements, including fees from various scholarship schemes worth crores of rupees.

The association also noted that a newer scheme offering free education to girls from economically weaker sections (EWS) has added to their financial burden.

Previously, the government allowed colleges to collect fees from students upfront, with reimbursements made later. However, under the new system, colleges are prohibited from collecting fees at the time of admission and must rely entirely on the state government for reimbursements. The colleges had urged the government not to publish the second merit list until their demands were met.

An anonymous member of AMUPMDC explained that the long-standing reimbursement delays, combined with recent policy changes, have escalated the issue.

"The government has prohibited us from collecting admission fees, promising to reimburse us. With medical education fees being substantial, we now fully depend on the state government," the member said. The recent extension of six months for submitting OBC certificates has added further complications, creating concerns about vacant seats in cases of fake certificates.

Despite a meeting between Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif and officials, the government has yet to announce a solution for the reimbursement issue, leading the colleges to halt admissions.

The CET Cell, meanwhile, received complaints from students denied admission during the second round and threatened legal action against the colleges for violating the Maharashtra Unaided Private Vocational Educational Institutions Act, 2015.

One parent who traveled from Pune to Navi Mumbai to admit their daughter expressed frustration, saying, "We lost the whole day. I took leave from work, and when we arrived, the college refused to admit my daughter, citing an association letter."

AMUPMDC defended its stance, with a representative explaining that the financial difficulties faced by the colleges are due to delayed reimbursements. "Nearly 50% of seats in private institutions are reserved, and the government has introduced a scheme covering female students' education fees. However, we haven’t received any reimbursements for over a year and a half," the representative said, noting that colleges still need to pay their employees and teachers.

Activist Brijesh Sutaria raised concerns about the impact on students, noting that NEET UG 2024 aspirants have already faced multiple challenges, and further delays will increase their anxiety. He added that students from Maharashtra could miss out on the NEET UG 2024 Counselling Round 3, where additional seats are available due to the opening of eight new government medical colleges in Maharashtra and two in other states.