Maharashtra Flags 152 NEET-UG Aspirants for Fake Documents, Seat-Blocking in MBBS Admissions 2025

Maharashtra CET Cell identifies 152 NEET-UG candidates with forged or invalid documents in MBBS admissions 2025.

The Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell has flagged 152 medical aspirants for submitting forged or invalid documents during the ongoing MBBS and BDS admission process. Officials have begun a detailed verification drive after identifying patterns of seat-blocking and document discrepancies in Round 3 of NEET-UG counselling.

The CET Cell found that several candidates submitted domicile certificates not issued in prescribed Maharashtra format, while others provided Class 10 certificates or other documents with mismatched details. Some students were found to have already taken admission under the All India Quota or in medical colleges of other states but still appeared on the Maharashtra merit list to block seats, reported ToI.

The CET Cell has issued notices to all 152 students and asked them to submit their original documents by October 16. Those who fail to provide authentic records risk cancellation of candidature and further action under admission rules. Officials said this is the first time such a large-scale verification has been initiated during an active counselling round to ensure transparency.

Seat-blocking, where a candidate takes a seat and later vacates it to manipulate availability, has been a recurring problem in medical admissions across India. Maharashtra officials said Round 3 is particularly vulnerable, as many top-ranked candidates withdraw or migrate to other colleges, creating opportunities for irregularities.

Similar incidents have been reported in other states. In Tamil Nadu, authorities last year detected multiple cases of students using fake community and income certificates to claim seats under reserved categories. Karnataka’s KEA also flagged over a dozen  candidates in 2022 for using duplicate documents or suppressing information while participating in multiple counselling rounds.

Following these cases, several states have pushed for stronger verification and cross database checks during NEET-UG admissions.

Maharashtra’s CET Cell has now started cross checking student records with other states and also All India Quota database to detect duplicate entries. Officials have also proposed linking Aadhaar or unique identification numbers to each seat allotment to curb manipulation.

Maharashtra CET Cell has urged aspirants to ensure that all uploaded documents are genuine and conform to the state’s prescribed format to avoid disqualification.