Fake council gave ‘affiliation’ to 70 paramedical institutes

Vishav Bharti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 21

An inquiry committee has found that an unrecognised institute in Mohali had given “affiliation” to 70 other bogus institutes and issued fake certificates to thousands of people in the past seven years.

The institute, run under the name of “Paramedical Council (Punjab)”, had been issuing certificates for 16 courses, including Bachelor of Ayurveda, Medicine and Surgery (BAMS).

On the directions of the Department of Medical Education and Research, the three-member inquiry committee of the Board of Ayurvedic and Unani Medicine had raided the “council” premises in Phase 7 on Friday.

Sources said the panel, in a report sent to the state government, has recommended that the “council” owners should be booked for fraud and the premises be sealed immediately. The committee said the “council” had duped a large number of people by issuing fake degrees and diplomas. It recommended a thorough investigation by a high-level committee, including police and legal experts.

The panel said those holding fake certificates and doing medical practice should also be made party to the investigation.

It added that the certificates for the degrees/diplomas in question could only be issued by the Medical Council of India, the Central Council of Homoeopathy, the Central Council of Indian Medicine etc., which had been enacted through a special Act of Parliament.

The inquiry panel said the “council” officials present during the raid failed to produce any record to prove that theirs was a recognised institute.