RGUHS and Medical Education Officials Visit KEA Over Ghost College Row

A team of officials from the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) and the Department of Medical Education visited the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) on Saturday in Bengaluru, following complaints that several colleges where students were allotted seats existed only on paper.

The visit came after students and media reports highlighted issues surrounding "missing" or "ghost" colleges during the ongoing seat allotment process. Officials from both departments sought to allay the concerns of affected students and parents, assuring them that the discrepancies would be resolved quickly.

According to an official from the Medical Education Department, inspection teams were constituted following directives from the Medical Education Minister. In May, RGUHS had submitted a list of 20 nursing and allied health science colleges that had requested changes of name and address to the state government, which subsequently forwarded the information to KEA. However, KEA failed to update the details in its system, creating widespread confusion among candidates.

The state government had previously approved address changes for institutions including the Hosmat College of Physiotherapy in Bengaluru and the Masood College of Physiotherapy in Mangaluru, but the updated locations were not reflected in the KEA database.

Authorities also investigated other irregular cases. B W Lions Super Specialty Eye Hospital, located off JC Road in Bengaluru, submitted its seat matrix to RGUHS without indicating any inability to offer its programme. After the seat matrix was finalised and candidates were assigned seats, the hospital management notified officials that it could not run the course. The department described the lapse as inexcusable, confirmed an inspection, and stated that a report recommending action against the college would be submitted to the government on Monday.

In another instance, an inspection team was dispatched to Sushrutha Nursing College. While a facility exists at the listed address, the college has not admitted students for the past year, with staff stating that students were being diverted to another partner institution. A formal probe into the college management has been ordered.

RGUHS Vice-Chancellor Dr Bhagawan B C held a meeting with university officials to review the findings and coordinate further steps.