For MBBS, EWS bar raised from Rs 3 L to Rs 8 L, to benefit CM's kin : Cong

THE GOAN NETWORK
PANAJI
The Congress on Tuesday called this year's MBBS admission process to the Goa Medical College (GMC) "absolutely unethical, illegal and corrupt" as a nephew of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant got admission under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category.
Congress spokesperson Trajano D'Mello at a press conference at the party headquarters pointed out several anomalies in the admission process to MBBS this year.
D'Mello questioned how when the parents' annual income limit to qualify under EWS had been set at Rs 3 lakhs in the GMC prospectus released on February 28, it had suddenly been raised to Rs 8 lakhs after the first round of MBBS admissions.
"There was no mention of the EWS quota during the first round of admissions on July 4. Suddenly, they announced and advertised that the slab for the EWS scheme is Rs 8 lakhs. Where are prospective students going to run around to get a certificate from the mamlatdar at the last minute? The slab was clearly raised to benefit preferential people," D'Mello said.
Further, the Congress head of communications also said that the GMC had exceeded the 10% quota for EWS for MBBS seats. "The law clearly states that EWS seats will be 10% of the general category. In the GMC, there are 98 seats in the general category. So EWS seats should have been 10. How did the Directorate of Technical Education (DTE) allow 15 seats to be filled by EWS? The director must reply whether the CM's nephew was in these last five who got admission," D'Mello said.
D'Mello said that it was of utmost importance for the Director of Technical Education to come out in the open about whether there was corruption in the process or not, as it was a "serious matter."
"The Goan" had reported on August 4, that Sawant's nephew, Swaraj Satish Sawant was amongst the first in the state to benefit from the EWS quota, after its introduction this academic year.
According to information obtained from the Directorate of Technical Education, Swaraj is the 12th of the 15 students who got admission to MBBS under EWS.