Admission Chaos -2016. Unexpected Unwanted Tension and Strife.

Admission Chaos -2016. Unexpected Unwanted Tension and Strife.

As it happens with matters of government, it was a ‘bolt from the blue’ for the students who were busy studying! They were preparing for the Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (MH CET) hoping to secure a seat in a medical college of their choice and make their dreams come true!  An unexpected ruling from the Supreme Court invalidating the test, just a few days before the test, shook the students and their parents to the core. This Admission Chaos-2016, caused by those who wielded power was unpardonable and it is seen from newspapers the issues continue to smolder.  

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I heard the story from Sahana, a parent, how a group of affected parents, fought successfully against this ruling, I felt that this needed to be told and asked for more details. She formed a Whats-App group with the parents and they shared a disturbing and a very disappointing story. As there were only a few colleges in our times, we too had our share of shocks and disappointments. However, we had hoped, after seventy years, that things would be better now for the students. Not really!  While there are more colleges all across India, the casual and callous way, the students are treated is disgraceful!  

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Their narration also conveyed the many impenetrable aspects to the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET). I was reminded of the Greek mythical creature Hydra, a serpent which has many heads and the ability to grow its severed heads again and again. The issues are complex. There are Government run colleges, Private and Deemed colleges and the rules that apply to them are varied. Each has their own agenda. While the prime concern of these colleges ought to be education. There are multifarious objectives! The huge difference in fee structures indicates that making money is one of them for the private and deemed colleges.

The curriculum in each state is varied and the politics, the reluctance of some states to accept central control, makes it all very chaotic. Pushing for uniformity and a central control meant that cases are filed in courts by both parents and institutions against this imposition of central control. As legal procedures have their own style and pace, there are inevitable delays. These delays and a lack of transparency, keep the parents and aspiring kids on tenterhooks. It surely is a tough 2 years for them.

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Our country is now highly demanding and competitive, difficult even for those who are bright and hard working. While they keep their noses to the grinding stone, it is terrible that the young have to contend with such bizarre situations. Apart from coping with the rigors of studies, they have to be prepared to face many arbitrary decisions from the authorities. The kids do not deserve this additional trauma of coping with the rulings made at the drop of a hat, forcing them to take up exams for which they were not prepared. It is almost insane the way authorities kept them in the dark till the very last minute.
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The parents did well by confronting a system, which it seemed was devoid of humanity. They faced challenges one after another, took help from wherever they could, rallied together during difficult times and taught themselves and us a lesson. "Never accept unfair rulings from whatever source it came from. Whether the courts or a system which exploits its citizens". 

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NEET seeks to streamline the system of exams all over India. A very laudable intent, but the way it was introduced and handled speaks very poorly of the decision making process and implementation. It was a sordid, unacceptable spectacle. There should have been more transparency at all levels considering CET is in existence for over 20 years.
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It is not like the old times; the parents today are educated and often both are working professionals! They are not the usual vote-bank who can be manipulated. It was heartening to see the way they fought for their children. The angered parents formed a group and adapted a common approach. They were lucky as a few with legal know-how joined and guided them step by step to face each hurdle and develop strategies. It is creditable that the protest did not degenerate and the people held together and did the right things.
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These parents are the real brave-hearts and true soldiers of democracy. I have tried to capture the drama that unfolded with the help of their inputs which are sincere and have come from their heart. I salute them for their spirit and thank them for their help. 

The story as told by the parents:

"An announcement on April 26, 2016 that the state medical CET to be held on May 5th 2016 was no longer valid came as a shock! The students had to appear for National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET) on May 1, for which they were not prepared!  The All India Pre-Medical and Pre-Dental Test {AIPMT (NEET1)} followed the11th and 12th CBSE syllabus, whereas the state CET followed the 12th state board syllabus. Our children after having studied the state syllabus for 2 years were told that it was no longer relevant. For those who were planning to do both, invalidating the state medical exam was a cruel blow."
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"None had anticipated the court ruling and the nightmare that followed that too just a few days before the CET, as NEET introduced in 2013, had been subsequently labeled as unconstitutional. Added to this, a populist move by the then Hon. Education Minister, cutting short the syllabus for CET to include only 12th std. subjects and with NO negative marking, further handicapped the really hard working students. The kids’ morale was at the lowest ebb."
 

“Most students were focused on the MH CET and not so much on AIPMT (NEET1) as it counted for only 15% of the seats. The ruling which denied a second chance to take NEET2 to be held in July was harsh. The Supreme Court facing a lot of protest,* consented to the state CET being held. Our children, who barely recovered from the trauma of April 26th ruling, tried to focus for the test. Initially many were unable study as they were crying and feeling lost. It was just all dark"
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But the relief given to the children who had completed the May 5th, CET was short lived. They were given an after-shock on May 9th, when the SC declared that the exam which the students had just appeared was no longer valid. However the court kindly granted that all those who wanted could write the July 24th 2016 Test. “We couldn't bear to see our kids under so much tension.  So we thought we had to do something about it. While we urged kids to prepare for 24th July exam, we parents came together to fight for them."

*Dr Veena Borse remembers starting a WhatsApp group sitting in an outlet near Sathaye College and soon it grew into a big group of parents fighting for our children's rights. She says 'We started messaging each other as to what we should do? Many of us were doubtful whether we could go against an SC ruling. We asked ourselves, 'How can a syllabus be changed just a few days before the exam?' This ought to have been done at the beginning of the academic year!" We soon met, discussed, noted our points down, made banners and had our first protest march in Vile Parle.  Our protest was covered by the media."
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"After the Vile Parle protest March, more agitations and protests were held. One at Azad Maidan and at Marine drive we formed a human chain. We even had a Candle March on Carter road. We held more meetings with parents at Borivali and at Patekar Sabha. Mr Raj Purohit helped us by organizing a press meet to get our points across.
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 "We learnt as we went along! At the Candle March we approached each and every one on the road and spoke to them about our issues and requested them to support our fight by sharing it on social media like Twitter and FB.(One of them had to learn how to twitter!) And most importantly the coaching class 'professors' guided and joined us whenever they could. Their guidance was very valuable. Importantly we made it a point that our 'protest' should be on NEWS almost daily so that it doesn't go out of peoples mind and die down."

Ruiee Kapoor also recalls how it was for her and which is true for many other parents. “From May 9th till 15th October I didn't know what sleep is!  I skipped many meals in order to organize press meets, protests, and meetings with ministers, answering the media and most importantly answering calls from parents all over the state.”

“I spoke to the parents on May 1 at the Bandra west CET center, and formed a whatsapp group to fight against the injustice done to the students at the last moment.  At the same time coaching class where my daughter studied also were planning a protest. Having very good media connections, I approached the media, both print and electronic. They were prompt in supporting us. Their support was tremendous throughout the journey. Social media, FB or twitter or any other option were used by parents and students, no stone was left un-turned.  Many parents in the group offered great moral support to students during their difficult journey. This included offering prayers to Lord Ganapati." 

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 "An online petition which we all signed "  and urged others.
APPROVE JUSTICE FOR MEDICAL STUDENTS..!!! - Sign the Petition!
https://www.change.org/p/nishita-mehta-approve-justice-for-medical-students?recruiter=534153398&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=whatsapp:
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"To register our protest so it is heard!” was their first task! “Most of us were working professionals, busy with our careers and home and not exactly familiar with the working of the government and policies. We all contributed and collected money from parents for funding for these activities. This was followed with an attempt to place a petition before the Supreme Court. This failed as the Court had declined to entertain even the state governments, as they had been given adequate notice. Apparently this was the Central Governments' grand plan for many years and the State governments were not implementing the order. In fact, Sankalp, a quasi-charitable organization, actually fed by the Delhi and Kota lobby of classes had petitioned the SC, hence this untimely ruling." (Explains the haste, but does not justify traumatizing the kids for no fault of theirs.)

"We tried to approach the CM, and whosoever we could meet to try and get a solution out of this chaos." The parents group approached and met Mr Raj Thackeray and explained to him the points in detail and sought his help. He immediately arranged a meeting with the CM, Mr Fadnavis, for the next day. (“Only a few parents were allowed inside and they did a great job in putting the points across. Rest waited outside due to security reasons.”)

Parents met the CM to put forth the problems faced by the children because of the last minute change. They highlighted the differences in the syllabi, about the non-availability of books in rural areas and about the language issues for the vernacular students. They stressed the fact that two months was too short a time for kids to study two years of portions and this was not fair. The students who had studied CBSE for 2 years had an unfair advantage over their children.
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“We also had met the then education minister Mr Vinod Tawade, who held the medical portfolio. But nothing significant came out of it. He soon gave up the medical portfolio. Shockingly, we came to know from him they had information as early as Dec, 2015 that NEET would happen. Imagine our anger that we parents and students were kept in dark about such a catastrophic career changing information."

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The ordinance: "Thanks to that meeting with CM we finally got an ordinance which was passed on May 20th, and signed by the President on May 23rd, bringing relief to some, as only the Government colleges were exempt from NEET based admission for the year. CET results brought in more confusion for kids, as one was not sure of what marks were adequate and if the dynamics would change, post the DMER announcing the admission merit list." (?)

."Many students, though traumatized, managed to fare well in the State CET. The top ranked students secured their seats as their State CET scores were good.  Others with slightly lower scores had to continue their efforts and give NEET2 . However with low scores they failed to secure their seats which they would have if there was only one test, either MH CET or NEET. They found it hard to focus because of the lack of clarity. They did not know whether NEET2 would be conducted in 2016 or postponed to 2017. We parents were hoping against hope, for a delay. It was not all; we had to fight court cases thereafter against Private and Deemed colleges. Kids who were 18 years or less underwent excessive pressure.”

"There were sudden changes in rules extending right up to 30th September, the last date for all medical admissions for the year. Parents stood guard and vigilant and focused on fighting each and every issue which kept cropping up.”

“The next issue was how to deal with private medical colleges. These colleges which were under state domicile rule wanted to get out of Centralised Admission Process (CAP). After the health minister Mr J.P Nadda passed an order that private and deemed would have to follow CAP, many cases were filed. But their applications was rejected, but the process was stretched long.”

 "We had also heard the very upsetting and tragic news of students committing suicide. Having just two months for studies, they were unsure of clearing NEET 2.  We were scared to leave our children alone at home and go for meetings and protests. Those were the scariest days of our lives."   

.The idea to protest sprouted all across the state. As it gained momentum, parents connected thru phone calls, messages and informal meetings. “We had 7 main groups, of which 3 had full capacity of 250 parents and other 4 groups had about 100 - 150 parents each. Apart from this there was a student’s group which had about 200 students"
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 About the people:

Sahana said that there were so many that it was difficult to name them all.  While some took charge of organizing protests, making posters and allotting work to the volunteers at the grass roots level and to reach out and motivate people. Others took initiative and approached politicians, govt. officials and the media seeking their advice and support. There were a few who were the 'Think Tank', giving ideas, moral support and importantly courage. Some dealt with accounting, a few with legal acumen kept watch on the implications of the groups actions, which was absolutely necessary!


Anju Meswani said "Our days began and ended with only thoughts of process and being a support for parents and students who didn't know the system well. Guiding people had become a part of our everyday routine. The input from various people with different experiences has been very positive for us to continue. We parents, while our children were busy focusing on CET, had to rush as the need of the hour demanded: be it agitation, press meets, HC, SC, candle light march at the expense of the kids, who were actually going through a tough time. We had no option.”
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"Amidst all this chaos, the Maharashtra state government chose to award sports and NCC marks to students. It was placed as a seemingly innocuous notice on the website. When the list was displayed, huge number of students especially from rural areas had qualified for the same. Sports quota needs a state or national level player, and NCC too has a 2 year rigorous training to get the requisite certificate. We saw our children's ranks drop and there was anger against those who had manipulated this and frustration against the state government”. 

Parents group filed an RTI to know how many kids had got the sports marks.
 .“We discovered that the government had not included the clause for sports and NCC quota in its initial application published online, and introducing this later was incorrect. We filed a case and the HC reprimanded the State government for this quota which was added later and we won the case!”
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“The list was displayed by the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) again, and admissions began, my son got a seat in a Mumbai college, and while my journey successfully concluded, many fought more battles tirelessly. Admission percentages to private and deemed colleges were still unclear and NEET was to be conducted for these colleges. With each passing day the tensions were mounting.”

“We tried to get intervention from the CM but he didn't meet us. We were giving him a chase and he was dodging us. The only way was to draw his attention and others was to challenge him in front of the live media. That's what I did! I straight away demanded his resignation along with a large group of parents and students. Immediately we were called by NCP MP Supriya Sule and help was offered. Sharad Pawar ji spoke to the CM in front of us and asked him to pass a resolution that 85% seats in private colleges will go only to the State students.”

While some students got on in and others were fighting their battles:
“Time was running out, only few days were left for the dead line of 30th September.
Only two days were given to join the college. Our children were still without a, seat. Everyone was praying hard and finally it seems God had mercy on us as 2 colleges got MCI approval and on 29th September 250 seats were on the table for our children to go and grab. At 10.30 on September 30th my daughter got her Admission and I just broke down because it was a long struggle of 5 months which had ended with a smile on my face, peace in my heart and tears in my eyes.

There were still some issues to be solved. They went to court to change the domicile rule in Maharashtra. “Those who had slightly lower scores and could have been eligible for private colleges were now left in the lurch. Hoping that the Maharashtra Act of 2015 might help in including private colleges under CET, we met with DMER director Mr Pravin Shingare. He said only courts could interpret the ordinance.”
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"Dr Subodh Shirur and India Law were on the forefront and a petition was filed by Mr Ajit Murur, Dr Anupam Dudhani , Dr Pratima Murur , Dr Sahana .While the judgment was historical in removing the additional quota for sports, NCC etc., unfortunately there was no relief for admission into private colleges.  It was a shock for us to read in the papers that a Private Dental college from Nasik had filed a petition against 85% domicile rule and it was already into its Second hearing. We realized that our kids would not stand a chance in an ALL INDIA exam as the kids were disadvantaged in their short preparation time for NEET2. It also hurt us as many other states followed the domicile rule for admission! This was upsetting that while the students from other states benefited, students from Maharashtra were short-changed."
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Dr Sahana said "I approached a few parents as I wanted to go legal. Others were hesitant as we had faced a setback in the previous case and also due to financial constraints. In a moment of madness I decided to fight this case on my own. (My dear husband Ashish fully supported me in taking this financial risk) It was a difficult task finding a senior counsel to represent us; all were on the Ganapati Festival break. A group of us spent a whole day in discussions and deliberations which proved fruitful and we finally found a good senior counsel to represent us."
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"On the first hearing CJ did not come and hearing was postponed, finally there were 5-6 hearings in all. Being in the court was tense and a lot of tears were shed when things did not seem to go well. Luckily at the end of this entire emotional roller-coaster ride, the final judgment was passed in favor of 85% domicile for the year 2016. Contributions poured in from all corners of Maharashtra for funding the case. Shreedevi Poduwal, Jasmine Gogri, Dr Anju Meswani, Manisha Gupta, Padma Badhe were the ‘lady generals’ who shored up support for our fight. Sudha Shenoy helped in accounting for the funds collected. Dr Kiran Kurtakoti in providing key documents to strengthen our case and numerous others whose contributions will remain unsung.”
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“"Support came from all corners of Maharashtra’. It did require a lot of persuasion and awakening of parents by the many WA groups set up for the purpose. Finally the faith the people showed in our efforts, gave us the strength to continue and to take on many more unresolved issues. We received financial support for our ‘private domicile’ case from many whom we had not even met.  We had only one purpose, ‘to fight for our right!’”

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A parent cautioned that the private colleges and deemed colleges had resorted to court cases and covert actions. "By the time of CAP rounds came to our state CET cell, there were hardly 400 + seats left to fill in total from all the deemed colleges. We had applied thrice for deemed college seats. Once for the entrance which was cancelled when NEET came in picture.  Again in all the chaos, deemed colleges took advantage of the panic and made us apply again, each individual college charged Rs. 5000 per application. The cost could go up to Rs. 50000 if we applied for more colleges. Finally After court order of CAP, we again applied through our state CET cell. Thus constant vigilance was required by us to know each hurdle which could come our way and step up and take action as and when required."
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It was despicable the way the deemed colleges chose to fish in troubled waters. The private and the deemed colleges have about 24,000 seats. While the fee range is from Rs 5 to 10 lakhs per year in private colleges, it hits the ceiling for NRI’s in deemed colleges. It is a lot of money at stake and no wonder these colleges want to get out of the central net. In comparison a govt. college fee varies between Rs.50,000 to Rs.200,000 and  there are 28,000 Govt. seats. It is well worth to study if such an exorbitant fee structure is justified. The gap between the two is enormous.

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There are a few more memories, Shreedevi Poduval, an educationist has highlighted the outcome of the protest movement. It is a strong and well thought out message.

 “The ruling was unjust and unfair. Yet something beautiful happened. As an educationist I could not believe that education reform could happen in such a haphazard last minute manner. In the tussle between bureaucracy, legislation and judiciary we and our kids turned into pawns. Such a change was fair if we had a ‘uniform national education system’. But this decision was lopsided and to the advantage of the CBSE board students as each extra mark would make or break a career. Yes, we parents rose like lions and lionesses ready to protect the rights of our kids. Soon the movement included the voices of many who lived beyond Mumbai. We turned into a strong pressure group that soon moved from fighting for the rights of our own kids to becoming a voice to implement a righteous system in education.”

“Through our journey we discovered several things:
1) The voice of the common man is heard in decision making.
2) With sufficient evidence (not just hear say or opinion) we can challenge the system
3) The power of a TEAM is always larger than the power of an individual.
4) Justice still prevails if we fight for it.  Alone it is a costly take but together we can achieve.
5) Our action doesn’t end with our cause being met. We play an important role as stakeholders in the system. We are part of a system and have roles and responsibility to play in it.
6) The road is long and weary. Using our strengths and expertise helps us to pave a way in the road just being taken.
7) As citizens DON'T WAIT for things to hit your doorstep. Reach out before it is too late.
8) Instead of cribbing BE A PART of a proactive action group.”

“In these months of agitation we reminded ourselves each day that we would do all that was in our capacity in a peaceful united manner.  ‘How important is people power?’ was the most valuable lesson for us. The mistake we often make is that we rarely get involved when policies are being formulated. Decision makers often forget to consider the viewpoint of the common man. It is after a legislation gets passed that we wake up; this mind frame needs to change. If you find something to be wrong, be a voice that shares concerns. Soon you will get support. Don't sit back like a bystander.”
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Another parent Anju Meswani talks about how kids took it.
 “Our kids were being used as pawns. They came through stronger as they faced the storm early in life. Our kids were hoping for miracles to happen from our fights.”

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“I had to pacify my daughter and many other students who were frustrated and felt cheated. They had lost a seat in Govt Medical College by a few marks. I advised them to concentrate on NEET. Many parents were with the group till the ordinance was passed and then parted ways. Some stayed back and were with us till the high court judgment was passed on 19th September. For some struggle ended after the SC verdict, but for most us it did not end there. Just before the allotments of seats were announced, one dental college filed a petition to fill in their seats on all India basis challenging the domicile rights of our students.”

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“This battle against the system brought us all closer to God; we made good friends who've now become family and a group which is like an extended family for all of us. Without the media support our success wouldn't have been possible.”

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“The day our kids got admission was unbelievable. It was utter chaos for Ruiee who waited till 5 am. We were praying for her and by God's grace, she got it too. To even think that our 5 month battle was finally over was not settling in. Hard work pays.”

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“Thanks to Pratima and Shreedevi, while their kids got through CET, they continued to support us throughout. Deeply appreciated. Although we all started the protest for our kids, we stood together for the cause.”

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One of the parents was also concerned for the future:  "We have carried our fight to current year with the support and guidance of our old buddies, but somewhere it appears that the required fire is missing in this group. The current group is oblivious of what is lurking around.” Another parent agreed: "They fail to understand that new situations can arise. Our succeeding was a very emotional and a euphoric moment for us."

"Some of us are still unable to get it out of our system. We still are guiding the future 2017 batch to further streamline and continue the work and not leave any loopholes by making all process legal on papers so that no further blocks comes in the way for future generations."
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Dr. Subodh Shirur’s significant role, right from the beginning, proves that it is not easy to tackle the shenanigans that keeps happening in our country. One has to be constantly vigilant, resourceful and patient to handle the adversaries as well as deal with the long suffering silent majority. 

He says he is a media shy person who was transformed from being a mute spectator to an activist. His motivation was his daughter who wanted to be a doctor and nothing else. And his driving force was his better-half! We see he was proactive, encouraging to those who needed it. He was ' a pillar of strength' they said. Patient and attentive to the needs of many. One who was able to strategize and choose the right options! 
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"Last year, early April there was a Supreme Court judgment reviewing its earlier judgment on NEET. I instantly spoke to a Supreme Court lawyer who said that there is no cause for concern for the current batch. But the worry was simmering in my mind. The last week of April came the sudden and unexpected judgment."

"I spoke to my daughter's tutors and immediately created a WhatsApp group overnight. Early next morning at around 7am I headed towards the residence of then medical education minister. His staff informed me that he was away and would return only after 3 days. From there I rushed to the CM's bungalow.  By then Ranjan Mehta arrived there. We were not allowed an audience with the CM. So we rushed to Mantraalaya to meet him. We enlisted the support of a local MLA to take up our issue."

 
"I was advised not to engage any counsel nor come all the way to argue in person as I was informed that the position does not seem to be changing. I was determined to go,   I prepared petitions myself and sent them online to the Supreme Court. We read about similar activities happening in other parts of the city and joined hands with them."
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Sahana adds "We really admire Dr Subodh's patience during that time. There were people messaging, calling him the whole time and he was able to answer them with great care and patience in spite of being under so much stress himself. Subhodhji spent hours in understanding the different angles of their case. He made us believe in the judicial process!"
 

Dr Subodh has a philosophical approach with a touch of humor. "I will reiterate what I replied someone who asked me how I managed to be patient. I had two options, either I had to be patient or had to be a patient. I consciously chose the former".

And adds, "Sahana learnt the art of briefing lawyers. She also acquired multiple skills apart from briefing lawyers!" I guess this refers to her applauding a judge in the court!
  
It is clear that Dr.Subodh’s "Tour de force" was to depend on the judicial process and convince others that it was the right way. Protests have their place, but there is always a risk of it getting out of hand.

We see from the parents' narrative, the children and their parents suffered enormously. Fatigue and mental stress caused by the process was immense and no words can describe this adequately. People who are responsible and accountable for creating this chaos unfortunately manage to get away.

It was amazing the way the parents and students stood firm to ensure that the damage done by the powers that be was minimal in 2016. It would be wonderful if the aftermath of the protests changes things for the better. In fact, it is within the rights of the students and the parents to ask that no changes in exam pattern should be made for 2 years once the child has enrolled into 11th std. of a school.
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It is also not just Medical colleges:
AURANGABAD: The state CET cell's decision to change the eligibility criteria for claiming the 15% all India quota for engineering seats for the academic year 2017-18 has not gone down well with the students and parents among other stakeholders, who have termed it as a whimsical stand that would have an adverse impact on students.

 

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A few pictures shared by the parents.

First SILENT Protest at Vile Parle

Azad Maidan Protest

Press Conference

Press Report

Meeting with Mr. Vinod Tawade

Candle March at Carter Road

Second round of meeting with CM
To confirm 85% seats in private colleges for domicled students
And discussion on NEET

Human Chain protest at Marine Drive

Congrats to the parents for continuing their yeoman service in to NEET 2017

http://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/mumbai/other/how-to-nail-neet-the-whatsapp-movement/articleshow/58618970.cms