– Noorullah Javed
In a shocking revelation that has rocked India’s healthcare and education sectors, the country’s largest medical education scam has exposed a dangerous nexus between politicians, corporate interests, and self-styled religious leaders. The scam has not only revealed the alarming commodification of medical education but also laid bare the systemic rot plaguing public health, regulatory bodies, and pharmaceutical practices in India.
Healthcare is a basic human right, and ensuring public health is a fundamental duty of any responsible government. Yet, in India, the health sector has increasingly become a profit-driven industry where even a single serious illness can push middle-class families into poverty. Experts argue that the Indian healthcare system is no longer a service-oriented sector but a money-minting enterprise, especially in the realms of medical education and pharmaceutical regulation.
A Web of Fake Medical Colleges and Corrupt Doctors
At the center of the latest scandal is a well-coordinated racket involving the National Medical Commission (NMC), private medical college heads, intermediaries, and officials from the Ministry of Health. The CBI has unearthed large-scale bribery and manipulation in the approval process of private medical colleges. In one sting operation conducted in late June at Raipur’s Rautpura Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, six individuals were arrested, including NMC officials, while accepting ₹55 lakh in bribes.
Investigations have revealed that the scam extends far beyond these arrests. High-ranking health ministry officials were reportedly leaking confidential inspection schedules to medical colleges, who then arranged dummy faculty and patients in advance. In some cases, inspection reports were pre-drafted for a price.
The CBI’s FIR filed on July 7 named 34 individuals, including senior officials from the Ministry of Health, NMC, and private colleges. Prominent names such as Ravi Shankar Maharaj—a religious leader from Central India and head of the Rautpura Group of Institutes—and former UGC Chairman Prof. D.P. Singh, now Chancellor at TISS, have surfaced. Astonishingly, ₹75 lakh in bribes were allegedly diverted for the construction of a temple in Rajasthan.
According to experts, the scam spans more than 40 institutions across multiple states, causing irreparable harm to the integrity of medical education. “This is not just a scam; it is an institutional disaster,” said Amulya Nidhi, co-convenor of the People’s Health Movement of India. “Regulators have become brokers. If licenses aren’t revoked and colleges shut down, we’re breeding unethical doctors who will endanger lives.”
Rising Medical Education Costs and Foreign Exodus
With private colleges paying crores in bribes for approval, the cost of an MBBS degree in India has soared to ₹80 lakh–₹1 crore. In contrast, students can complete the same degree abroad, in countries like China, Russia, Ukraine, the Philippines, or Bangladesh, for a fraction of the cost. This has led to a mass exodus of Indian students seeking affordable medical education overseas.
However, foreign graduates must clear the National Exit Test (NExT) to practice in India, and the pass rate remains dismal—between 15–20%. Many of these students are then forced to rely on corrupt means to enter the system, further perpetuating the cycle of exploitation.
Drug Prices, Corporate Greed, and a Silent Regulator
Parallel to the medical education scam is the unchecked rise of pharmaceutical companies that have been given free rein to set drug prices. This deregulation has coincided with political donations to the ruling party, amounting to ₹420 crore through electoral bonds. In return, these companies face little oversight and are allowed to sell overpriced or even substandard medicines.
Before liberalization, drug prices in India were strictly regulated under the Drug Price Control Order (DPCO). However, since the 1990s, this control has been gradually dismantled:
In 1987, many drugs were delisted.
In 1995, the number of essential medicines under price control dropped from 140 to just 76.
In 2013, new lists were created but market-driven pricing was allowed.
As a result, drug prices skyrocketed. The introduction of GST further inflated prices with 12–18% tax slabs, making medicines unaffordable for the poor. Excise duty was shifted from production cost to MRP, exacerbating the price hike.
Meanwhile, domestic public-sector pharmaceutical units were either shut down or privatized, reducing access to affordable, locally produced medicines. India now depends heavily on imported, expensive drugs.
Doctors and Gifts: Ethics Compromised
Pharmaceutical companies have also resorted to unethical marketing practices. Doctors are routinely offered lavish gifts—including gold coins, LCD TVs, refrigerators, and even cash—in return for prescribing certain brands. In a petition to the Supreme Court, the Federation of Medical and Sales Representatives of India demanded a binding code to regulate such practices. The case cited Dolo-650’s manufacturer allegedly spending ₹1,000 crore in bribes.
Though the government introduced a Uniform Code of Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices in 2015, it remains voluntary with no enforcement mechanism. This has allowed unethical marketing and bribery to flourish unchecked.
Regulatory Failure and Public Health Crisis
In June 2025, tests by central and state drug regulators found 185 drugs—including antibiotics, diabetes medication, and vitamin supplements—to be substandard. These contained harmful microorganisms that could lead to severe complications or even death.
Despite such alarming findings, there has been little accountability. The government has admitted to receiving complaints but has taken no concrete steps. Regulatory agencies remain mute spectators, and companies continue to profit while patients suffer.
Who Is Accountable?
The sheer scale of the medical education and pharmaceutical scams raises fundamental questions:
Can such massive corruption happen without the involvement of ministers and top officials?
Shouldn’t the Union Health Minister, who also serves as BJP President, take moral responsibility?
Why has the government prioritized corporate profit over public health?
If immediate steps aren’t taken to reform medical education, regulate drug pricing, and eliminate political-crony ties, India could face a deeper health crisis. Trust in the medical system is eroding, and the consequences will be devastating for generations to come.
