Despite forgery alerts from MEA, state authorities took no action against fake NRI admissions in private medical colleges
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has accused authorities in West Bengal and Odisha of ignoring direct evidence of forgery in NRI quota medical admissions, even after receiving specific information from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), reported ndtv.com.
ED uncovers fake NRI documents and multi-candidate sponsorships in scam involving crores, implicating agents and private colleges.
According to the federal probe agency, multiple private medical colleges offering MBBS, MD, and MS programmes in these states colluded with education agents to forge documents and illegally admit ineligible candidates under the NRI quota. The ED alleges that agents were paid by colleges to procure fraudulent embassy certifications and falsified family trees, often using the same set of documents for multiple unrelated applicants.
In many instances, credentials of actual NRIs were obtained through payments and manipulated to falsely present them as student sponsors. “Huge commissions” were reportedly involved in the orchestration of this scam, the ED stated.
To date, the agency has provisionally attached a fixed deposit worth ₹6.42 crore belonging to a private college in West Bengal. This follows a previous attachment of assets worth ₹12.33 crore from colleges and individuals involved in the case.
The ED emphasised that Indian consulates and embassies abroad had confirmed that many of the NRI certificates used were “not genuine.” Despite these clear red flags and warnings from the MEA, the concerned state governments took no action.
The ED has called for accountability from state-level regulatory authorities, highlighting systemic neglect and failure to enforce Supreme Court-mandated NRI quota norms.
This ongoing investigation reveals a deep-rooted nexus between educational institutions and intermediaries exploiting the NRI quota system for financial gain. The ED’s findings suggest that compliance was merely on paper, with fake documentation used to show adherence to legal norms while facilitating backdoor admissions.
The federal agency continues its probe and may initiate further action, including prosecution of the involved institutions and individuals, for money laundering and violation of admission norms under the NRI quota.
