Continuing the heritage of deceit

Just read “China, A Medical Students’ Nightmare“ (Page 4, Education Times, TOI, Pune, of 5^th July 2005) which contains choicest reading on the shining prospects of eager hordes of Indian degree-hunters (guess, Col. Madan is doing all right !) -

Welcome to a nightmare called a Chinese MBBS. Following an amendment to the Medical Council of India Act in 2002 which recognizes qualifications set out by the government of the country where the institution is situated, enterprising agents in India and Nepal hit upon a get-rich-quick formula.

They enter into a contract with the interested universities which provide them the information about the schools. Teachers, websites and even brochures - are all managed by these agents. “There are no ads in the papers for these faculty. Most of them are people who haven’t been able to clear the MCI screening test after an MBBS from Russia”, said an educational consultant.

… In the past three years, the number of such universities has gone from 1 to 23… what these agents conveniently gloss over is that at most of these universities, traditional Chinese medicine constitutes a major chunk of the syllabus. “Traditional Chinese medicine has no application in India. After we realised this, we have just done away with that in the brochures”, said another agent.

… While agents advertise these universities as WHO recognized, the organization makes it clear that it has no authority to grant any form of such recognition and merely collates information from various governments…

And guess what ? Just below this scathing report is the good Colonel’s advertisement (complete with the pagoda roof and all !) for MBBS in China- 2005 Hubei University of TCM
A little more research in the Times Classifieds, TOI, Pune, of 6^th July 2005, reveals –

MBBS in China Seminar & On Spot Admission Dr M Haseeb, Eminent Educationist and Visiting Professor in UK & Chinese Universities…

MBBS China – 2005 We represent WHO enlisted Renowned 5 Medical Universities of China, More than 400 Students already enrolled for 2005… Col. Ashok Madan… (our Good Samaritan at large ! Did he manage an honourable discharge from the Army - if he belonged to that institution in the first place ?)

STUDY IN RUSSIA, MBBS MD. MS. MDS. No Donation & Entrance Examination, Smegavision Educational Consultancy, contact : Mrs. Meghana Kulkarni (Former Reg.Manager, A J Trust)… (just in case i was ignorant of her credentials !)

and many more such…
i don’t work in the media but some of you do -

1. The good Colonel Ashok Madan and his ilk continue to thrive, playing with the future of unwary millions. Can’t any of us do anything - beyond watching and lamenting ?
2. “400 students already enrolled for 2005” - even if reality is only 10% of the claim, that’s 40 hapless young dreamers with their illusions ready to go under the steam-roller
3. A cool 40 lakh Rupees (at the least) added to the Good Samaritan’s bank balance. Give me one good reason why i should continue to follow the virtue of hard work and little money ?!
4. Isn’t it time for some PILs, anyone ?
5. Or better still, a “sting” operation with massive media coverage - TV and all ?
6. What can i do to end this deceit ?