₹10 Lakh for an MBBS Degree? Supreme Court Allows MBBS Degrees Despite Fake Tribe Certificates
In a rare and highly debated judgment, the Supreme Court of India has ordered the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) to officially grant MBBS degrees to two students whose admission under the Scheduled Tribe (ST) quota was based on tribe certificates that were later found to be invalid and cancelled.
“The Country Lacks Enough Qualified Doctors”
The bench, comprising Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Rajesh Bindal, reversed a previous Bombay High Court order that had refused to grant the students any relief due to the “suppression of facts.”
The Supreme Court took a more pragmatic stance. The justices noted that the students had already completed their grueling academic courses and acquired the necessary medical skills. The bench observed that canceling their degrees now would serve no practical purpose, would waste precious medical education resources, and would deprive society of trained professionals when the country already lacks enough qualified doctors.
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The ₹10 Lakh Penalty for Depriving Genuine Candidates
While the Court allowed the students to keep their degrees and enter the medical profession, it made it clear that they would not go unpunished.
Acknowledging that these students had illegally occupied reserved seats and directly deprived genuine ST candidates of securing admission, the Supreme Court imposed a massive penalty. Each student was ordered to deposit ₹10,00,000 with the Vice-Chancellor of MUHS within three months. Furthermore, both candidates had to sign a strict legal undertaking stating that they will never claim any reservation benefits in their future careers or PG admissions.
