Puducherry: Puducherry has been grappling with students from other states attempting to usurp MBBS seats meant for local candidates by submitting fake certificates through the Centralised Admission Committee (CENTAC) process.

Despite efforts to curb this issue, the problem of dual citizenship continues to plague the state's medical admissions.

This year, it was discovered that eight students, falsely claiming Puducherry residency, applied using dual citizenship credentials.

The Health Department has since recommended their removal from the CENTAC ranking list.

This follows a similar case involving 11 students who were disqualified from Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) for submitting fake certificates.

In other states like Tamil Nadu, Punjab, and Haryana, stringent measures are in place to prevent such occurrences.

In Tamil Nadu, for instance, MBBS candidates must declare their state of residence and provide an undertaking, ensuring they do not claim citizenship from another state.

Similar processes exist in Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh, where dual citizenship cases result in immediate disqualification.

However, Puducherry's admissions process lacks such stringent regulations, relying only on a 20-rupee e-stamp confirmation that the submitted information is accurate. This loophole has allowed non-resident students to exploit the system.

Bala, President of the Puducherry Students Parents Association, has urged the state government to swiftly implement strict regulations to safeguard local students' rights. A clear decision on dual citizenship and fake certificates is necessary to prevent further exploitation of Puducherry's MBBS seats.