New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has confirmed the expose by Times Now-TOI in May 2009 and said there was a clear involvement of Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute (RMCRI) as well as Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research (BIHER), both in Tamil Nadu, in demanding capitation fee for admission to MBBS course.
The CBI has also made it clear that officials of the two institutes were not seeking capitation fee in their personal capacity but there was clear involvement of the two deemed-to-be universities. Strangely, though the CBI demanded withdrawal of deemed-to-be university status of both the institutes, the report submitted in Novembar 2009 has been lying with the HRD ministry for the past seven months without any action.
In case of RMCRI, CBI has said that A Subramanian, deputy registrar (academic), associated with the institute for more than two decades, demanded capitation fee on behalf of the institute. The CBI said the institute did not lodge any complaint against him with the local police nor took any harsh action for his misconduct. Times Now had shown Subramanian demanding the capitation fee.
During the probe, CBI analysed the common entrance test of RMCRI and found that question papers for the medical entrance test were being prepared by C Satish, principal of DAV School, Chennai, for many years. But the real shocker is that Satish has a Ph.D in commerce. The institute's office-bearers, including its chairman, failed to explain the engagement of Satish for setting up of question papers for years continuously, CBI said.
In addition, the answer sheets along with question papers of the common entrance test of previous years were not provided during the course of inquiry on the pretext that they have been destroyed as per university resolution, the agency said in its report.
The CBI also found that the common entrance test of Shri Ramachandra deemed-to-be university was being managed by one or two office-bearers who owed allegiance to the chairman of the university. No independent committee had been set up to maintain the standards of entrance test, CBI said.
In case of BIHER, the CBI has named TA Johnson, supervisor (maintenance) and V Lakshmi, deputy warden, Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital, as the persons demanding capitation fee on behalf of the institute.
The CBI found that there is no system in place for the publication of the list of successful candidates in the common entrance test. After analyzing its common entrance test, CBI said it raised doubts about its transparency and fairness.
The university failed to provide the names of the resource persons engaged for setting the question papers for the common entrance test, the agency said. Like in the case of RMCRI, one or two persons owing allegiance to the chairman of the university were conducting the test in BIHER. Even BIHER could not provide the answer sheets of the common entrance test of previous years.
The CBI also says that it examined the chairpersons and members of the UGC and MCI-appointed panels set up to probe the matter and they also said that the money was demanded for the institute and not for personal benefit.