Punjab: 40 students caught playing Multiple domicile mischief

Faridkot: 40 students who played mischief with the medical college's admission authorities in the state, by declaring themselves bonafide residents of Punjab to gain admission into the MBBS courses, have got themselves into troubled spots. They have been discovered having multiple state domicile for Rajasthan Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, as well.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has given a directive to the Department of Medical Education and Research (DMER) to summon the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS) with the records of all these to court and also instructed it to have other concerned departments check the domicile and bona fide residences of all these 40.

It is reported that while 26 of these students got admission after the first round of counseling; 14 entered medical colleges after the 2^nd round.

The High Court directive came in the face of some students filing a petition challenging the truant player's admissions in 3 government medical colleges for MBBS courses. The petitioners alleged that the multiple domicile character of these students could help them procure last-minute admissions, in the other states, as well.

The students also alleged that these students had been granted admission in Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, on making a claim of being bona fide residents of these states. As a student cannot claim to be a bona fide resident of more than one state, it amounts to fraud, alleged the students in their writ petition, in the High Court.

The court order declared that reshuffling of candidates, if need be, in matters related to domicile check, would have no bearing on the last date of admission, in this case, September 30^th.

Due to multiple domiciles, many students from Haryana were able to get admission in Punjab, however, the other way round admissions was an impossibility.

Definition of domicile varies from one state to another. While domicile acknowledgement in Punjab calls for a Class XII certificates, Haryana looks out for other documents like the birth certificate, as well.

Many students of Haryana took 'dummy' admissions in private schools in the inter-state border areas in Punjab ensure admission in both states. This put students from Punjab at a disadvantage as they were considered out-of-state candidates in Haryana, reports the Tribune.