₹100 Crore Scam Rocks Pune Medical College
• NMC Ultimatum: Time’s Up for D.Y. Patil
• Fifth-Year Fees, First-Class Fraud?
Unmesh Gujarathi
Sprouts News Exclusive
Contact: +91 9322755098
Sprouts News Exclusive
Contact: +91 9322755098
The National Medical Commission has issued a seven-day ultimatum to Maharashtra over a ₹100 crore fee extortion scandal at D.Y. Patil Medical College, Pune. Over 1500 students were allegedly forced to pay illegal fifth-year fees. Sprouts SIT reveals regulatory failures, sparking legal action and nationwide demands for medical education reform.
Contents
₹100 Crore Scam Rocks Pune Medical College• NMC Ultimatum: Time’s Up for D.Y. Patil• Fifth-Year Fees, First-Class Fraud?NMC Demands Immediate Action in Medical Fee Extortion ScandalRTI Revelations and Student Testimonies Expose Regulatory FailuresMaharashtra DMER Ignored 7 NMC Notices; Political Pressure MountsAlso Read: Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd’s POSH Act Breach Exposed in Defaming a Woman Employee.Related Article: Patil Medical College Fee Scam: ₹32L Shocker Exposed.Legal Escalation Likely as Students Demand Refunds and Constitutional JusticeSystemic Breakdown in Medical Education OversightA Constitutional Test: Will Rule of Law Prevail?Key Highlights:
NMC Demands Immediate Action in Medical Fee Extortion Scandal
India’s apex medical regulatory body, the National Medical Commission (NMC), has issued a rare and strong seven-day ultimatum to the Maharashtra government, demanding urgent action against Dr. D.Y. Patil Medical College, Pune. This development, formalized in a June 26 directive, follows months of administrative delay and highlights deep-rooted irregularities in India’s private medical education sector.
At the heart of the controversy is an alleged ₹32.76 lakh “fifth-year fee” demand from MBBS students. The demand far exceeds the college’s own published program fee of ₹26.5 lakh for the full 5-year MBBS course. According to students, this extra fee was forcibly collected under threats of withheld degrees and unlawful service bonds, sparking nationwide outrage.
RTI Revelations and Student Testimonies Expose Regulatory Failures
The fee extortion allegations surfaced when a resident surgeon initiated a legal battle to obtain his degree. Through Right to Information (RTI) filings, he uncovered a troubling pattern of evasive responses from both the NMC and Maharashtra’s Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER). Most queries received a generic “forwarded to state” reply, exposing a glaring accountability gap in enforcement mechanisms.
In a high-stakes virtual meeting on June 25, chaired by NMC Secretary Raghav Langer, the surgeon presented documentary evidence terming the fee demand unconstitutional. He cited Articles 14 and 21 of the Indian Constitution — the right to equality before the law and the right to life and dignity — framing the extortion as a violation of fundamental rights.
The Sprouts News Special Investigation Team (SIT) reviewed transcripts and supporting documents that confirm the Undergraduate Board of NMC deems the fifth-year fee as “entirely illegal”, noting that MBBS coursework is limited to 4.5 years per national regulations. The Board had previously issued multiple notices to the DMER, but none elicited a response.
Maharashtra DMER Ignored 7 NMC Notices; Political Pressure Mounts
The DMER’s repeated disregard of seven official notices since January has raised alarms at both the central and state levels. The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) recently censured D.Y. Patil Medical College, labelling its fee structure as “vague and misleading.” Political leaders are now speaking out; Madhya Pradesh’s Deputy Chief Minister condemned the psychological trauma inflicted on students, showing how far the issue has resonated beyond Maharashtra.
Internal estimates obtained by Sprouts SIT suggest that since 2021, the college may have illegally collected over ₹100 crore from approximately 1500 students, making this one of the largest fee scams in Indian medical education history. The lack of state action has emboldened student unions to demand a nationwide audit of all 654 medical colleges.
Also Read: Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd’s POSH Act Breach Exposed in Defaming a Woman Employee.
Related Article: Patil Medical College Fee Scam: ₹32L Shocker Exposed.
Legal Escalation Likely as Students Demand Refunds and Constitutional Justice
Legal experts assisting the students are now preparing to file petitions under Articles 32 and 226 in the Supreme Court and High Courts, respectively. The NMC ultimatum sets July 3 as the deadline for Maharashtra to submit a full action report. Should the government fail to comply, multiple students have vowed to escalate the matter legally.
While some refunds have been tentatively promised by July 10, students remain wary of further delays and half-measures. Several affected individuals have reported being forced to sign contractual bonds without clarity or consent—allegedly used as tools to trap them into paying unjustified sums.
Systemic Breakdown in Medical Education Oversight
Beyond financial exploitation, the scandal has reignited public debate on the integrity and oversight of India’s private medical institutions. Critics argue that arbitrary fee structures, opaque contracts, and institutional intimidation not only erode public trust but also widen inequality in medical access and training.
The Sprouts News Investigation Team (SIT) emphasizes that this is not an isolated incident but part of a larger pattern of regulatory negligence. Unless concrete systemic reforms are implemented, such institutions will continue to exploit students under the guise of “premium education.”
A Constitutional Test: Will Rule of Law Prevail?
As the July 3 deadline looms, the case has become emblematic of a broader question: Can regulatory frameworks and constitutional rights triumph over entrenched institutional impunity? With over ₹100 crore at stake, the outcome of this case may very well set the tone for India’s future in ethical medical education.
Key Highlights:
•Ultimatum Deadline: Maharashtra must act by July 3, 2024
•Estimated Illegal Collection: ₹100+ crore since 2021
•Students Affected: 1500+at D.Y. Patil Medical College, Pune
•Legal Fallout: Petitions under Articles 32 and 226 being drafted
•NMC Statement: Fifth-year MBBS fee is “entirely illegal”
•Refund Deadline (Tentative): July 10, 2024
