You got money? Any college, medical seat available: Tamil Nadu's medical seat touts offer pre-booking for seats at Rs 1 crore despite NEET, demonetisation 

One of the most reiterated arguments in defence of the NEET exam was that it would be a great leveller, that it would provide an equal platform to students across the country to get their seats "fairly". Besides NEET, many even pointed out that demonetisation would disable colleges from collecting donations and outrageous capitation fees.

In an earlier interview with EdexLive, when MHRD Minister Prakash Javadekar was asked about the impact of demonetisation on admissions, he said, "Demonetisation has helped the sector by practically ensuring that people cannot pay large amounts of cash for seats. We will see it in this academic season. NEET negates the capitation fee." 

Well, guess what? The touts and agents who are hawking medical seats in Tamil Nadu don't seem to have got either memo. 

After we made a series of calls to these 'seat agents', posing as concerned parents and friends of prospective medical students - we realised that their confidence in arranging a medical seat for a student, even if they had 'just passed' by the tiniest of slivers, was sky high. 

#MedSeatBargainNo1

Medical seats? They're only One Call Away 

Here's the stark reality. Seats in private medical colleges, and Tamil Nadu has one of the highest numbers in the country, are being pre-sold for anywhere between Rs 20 lakhs to one crore. Understandably, the bottom end figure of 20 lakh is often jus thrown around to keep you from being intimidated by the numbers. Anything in the city of Chennai will, according to them, cost at least Rs 45-60 lakh. Pre-sold how? Some of these seats are getting sold even before the NEET results are published on June 7. 

#MedSeatBargainNo2

And how do we find these murky agents who operate in large amounts of cash to secure medical college admissions? Like the answer to most other crises in life, here too it comes down to try power of the Internet. A simple search on Facebook throws up several phone numbers of people who "promise" medical seats at affordable prices and are only a call or WhatsApp message away.

#MedSeatBargainNo3

NEET? Problem illa. Money irukka? 

When EdexLive contacted some of these individuals and enquired about the seats, they immediately responded positively and claimed that the seats could be 'booked or blocked' in any college in the city, the states and even neighbouring states. "Even if NEET scores are bad it's okay madam. We can still get a seat anywhere, you just let us know where you want," this was pretty much the standard response to all the calls. 

#MedSeatBargainNo4

Some of these 'seat sellers' said that even though they could promise a seat, they would still need to wait for NEET scores to be announced first. But there were a few who said they could still 'book' a seat in advance even before the results come out and that just pass marks or below average marks could still guarantee a seat. "If you have made up your mind about the R********** college, then you can book the seat there, they will need an extra booking fee though and rest of the amount can be paid after the results come," one of them said. Besides these medical offers, these touts also make sure to make you aware of the other offers they have for engineering and other streams and don't forget to remind you to tell your other friends too!

#MedSeatBargainNo5

Where does the money trail lead? 

For the longest of times, the union and individual state governments have tried to combat rising costs of medical education in the private sector - to keep it equitable for students across the board. In fact, the taking of capitation fees per se, under the guise of management fees or admission fees, was outlawed unequivocally. To ensure that colleges didn't jack up their tuition fees to make up for that loss, individual states capped the tuition fees.  

#MedSeatBargainNo6

However, colleges have found the simplest of workarounds - they can charge practically any amount with their developmental or extra fees - a number that sources tell us extend to around Rs 16-18 lakh a year in some colleges in Tamil Nadu. 

Which is why it is nothing short of surprising that touts are as confident as they are - not only to ask for such huge sums of money (as cash and not transfers, because big brother is not watching) after black money was supposedly 'surgical strike-d' by the Modified administration last year. 

But confident is what they are and believe their business is steady and lucrative. 

Home run for capitation. Strike one for NEET. 

Number game: Neither NEET nor demonetisation has hindered the business of seat agents

Colleges in Tamil Nadu (Medical Council of India website)

1. ACS Medical College and Hospital, Chennai
2. Annaii Medical College, Pennalur, Kanchipuram (Rajalakshmi Medical College Hospital)
3. Annapoorna Medical College & Hospital, Salem
4. Chengalpattu Medical College, Chengalpattu
5. Chennai Medical College Hospital and research centre,Irungalur,Trichy
6. Chettinad Hospital & Research Institute, Kanchipuram
7. Christian Medical College, Vellore
8. Coimbatore Medical College, Coimbatore
9. Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Medical College and Hospital,Perambalur
10. ESI-PGIMSR,ESI Hospital,K.K Nagar,Chennai
11. Government Dharmapuri Medical College, Dharmapuri
12. Government Medical College & ESIC Hospital, Coimbatore, TamilNadu
13. Government Medical College, Omandurar
14. Government Sivagangai Medical College, Sivaganga
15. Government Thiruvannamalai Medical College, Thiruvannamalai
16. Government Vellore Medical College, Vellore
17. Government Villupuram Medical College, Villupuram
18. IRT Perundurai Medical College, Perundurai
19. K A P Viswanathan Government Medical College, Trichy
20. KanyaKumari Government Medical College, Asaripallam
21. Karpaga Vinayaga Institute of Medical Sciences,Maduranthagam
22. Karpagam Faculty of Medical Sciences & Research, Coimbatore
23. Kilpauk Medical College, Chennai
24. Madha Medical College and Hospital, Thandalam, Chennai
25. Madras Medical College, Chennai
26. Madurai Medical College, Madurai
27. Meenakshi Medical College and Research Institute, Enathur
28. Melmaruvathur Adiparasakthi Instt. Medical Sciences and Research
29. Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College, Salem
30. Ponnaiyah Ramajayam Institute of Medical Sciences, Manamai-Nellur
31. PSG Institute of Medical Sciences, Coimbatore
32. Rajah Muthiah Medical College, Annamalainagar
33. Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Kanchipuram
34. Shri Satya Sai Medical College and Research Institute, Kancheepuram
35. Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital, Chennai
36. Sree Mookambika Institute of Medical Sciences, Kanyakumari
37. Sri Muthukumaran Medical College,Chennai
38. Sri Ramachandra Medical College & Research Institute, Chennai
39. SRM Medical College Hospital & Research Centre, Kancheepuram
40. Stanley Medical College, Chennai
41. Tagore Medical College and Hospital, Chennai
42. Thanjavur Medical College,Thanjavur
43. Theni Government Medical College,Theni
44. Thiruvarur Govt. Medical College, Thiruvarur
45. Thoothukudi Medical College, Thoothukudi
46. Tirunelveli Medical College,Tirunelveli
47. Velammal Medical College Hospital and Research Institute, Madurai
48. Vinayaka Missions Kirupananda Variyar Medical College, Salem.