CHENNAI: The selection committee of the Directorate of Medical Education and Research has cancelled the candidature of eight MBBS applicants and 47 PG medical candidates as the embassy certificates submitted by them under the NRI quota were found to be fake during verification.

During the verification process, the state selection committee which handles medical admissions found the applications of NRIs who have studied in foreign quota carried fake embassy certificates.

Clarifying the issue, Health Minister Ma Subramanian said though the Tamil Nadu government has been conducting medical counselling in a transparent manner, some discrepancies were found in the admissions under the NRI quota. Embassy certificates submitted by eight candidates were suspected to be fake, after which they were verified and confirmed to be forged.

"The State government has taken action against all eight UG candidates, and admissions of three of them have been cancelled. One candidate has approached the court, and the remaining four have not been allotted seats. The government has also filed a police complaint against these candidates and is investigating further," said the minister.

"Additionally, 47 candidates who submitted fake embassy certificates for postgraduate medical admissions have been identified and a police complaint has been filed against them as well," the minister added.

The minister said the government is taking strict action against those who submit fake certificates, and this is the first time such a large-scale discrepancy has been found. "The investigation is ongoing, and the government is working to prevent such incidents in the future," he added.