Ahead of the common entrance test, the National Eligibility cum Entrance Exam, for admission to medical courses, including MBBS and BDS, scheduled to take place nationwide on 7 May, the Medical Council of India is grappling with online fraudsters.

A fake notification is reportedly doing the rounds on Whatsapp and is even being circulated on emails and other online platforms claiming that medical colleges will be filling in seats under the management quota and NRI category on their own.

Not surprisingly, hundreds of queries from anxious parents and students started pouring in to several medical colleges across states within a few hours of the so-called "notification". Most of the queries were regarding the criteria for getting selected under the management quota and how to qualify for an NRI seat.

Consequently, the MCI had to step in and issue a clarification that such a notification bearing 11 April 2017, as the date of issuance, is not signed and has therefore not been published by the MCI. “The notification is false, fabricated and fake,” said the clarification issued by the MCI on Tuesday. It has been sent to all state medical boards and councils.

Terming it the handiwork of unscrupulous elements trying to disrupt the admission process through common counseling based on NEET, officials at the Council said they are already in the process of lodging a complaint with the concerned authorities against unknown persons who have indulged in this criminal act.

MCI officials said the actual notification relating to "Common Counselling for Postgraduate Courses" has been published in the Gazette of India on 11 Marchthis year and is also available in its website under the e-gazette link available on the bottom of MCI homepage: http://www.mciindia.org.

The father of a medical student told The Statesman: "Three days ago someone forwarded me this message via Whatsapp. At first, I was happy that in case my daughter is not able to make it to her choice of PG subject, at least I will be able to get her a seat under the management quota since the colleges will be filling these seats on their own. Later on, I got suspicious about an official notification being circulated on social media. Thankfully I logged on to the official website and realised it was a fake notification. One should be very careful while believing what is being circulated on social media platforms as many a times one can land in serious trouble."