Don't fall prey to middlemen, says Karnataka Minister Sharan Prakash Patil to MBBS aspirants
Bengaluru, June 17 (PTI): Karnataka Medical Education Minister Sharan Prakash Patil on Tuesday appealed to medical seat aspirants and their parents not to fall prey to fraudulent middlemen under any circumstances.
He warned that such middlemen will be identified and dealt with strictly as per the law if they are found misleading students or parents with false promises of securing medical seats.
In a statement, the minister said that students who have studied hard and performed well in NEET, driven by their dream of becoming doctors, must not let anxiety over seat allotment push them into the trap of fraudsters.
The minister noted a growing number of people are falsely promising medical seats, claiming they can secure admissions in certain colleges by leveraging their “contacts” or “influence,” only to disappear after cheating the aspirants.
According to him, in Karnataka, 1,47,782 candidates registered for NEET, 1,42,369 appeared for the exam, Of these, 83,582 students qualified in the recently announced results.
“Do not act in haste or anxiety to secure a seat in a top college. Middlemen are waiting to exploit your desperation. Stay alert and avoid their scams,” he said.
“If anyone is found misleading students or parents with false promises of securing seats and cheating them, such middlemen will be identified and dealt with strictly as per the law. The government will not tolerate playing with the future of students and parents. Stern action will be taken against such intermediaries,” the minister warned.
Patil clarified that all seat allotments will be done in a systematic and transparent manner solely through the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA).
“Students and parents must strictly adhere to these official procedures,” he added.
The minister also congratulated all students who secured good ranks and extended his best wishes for their future.
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CBCI urges Prime Minister Modi to condemn attacks on Christians, bring fringe groups under control
Bengaluru: Archbishop Andrews Thazhath, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to publicly condemn attacks on Christians and take firm steps to protect the rights of religious minorities, saying it is the constitutional duty of the government to do so.
Addressing a press conference a day ahead of the CBCI’s 37th General Body Meeting in Bengaluru, Archbishop Thazhath said the Church has consistently approached government authorities whenever incidents of violence occur, but has never resorted to counter-attacks. “Protecting the rights of minorities and Christians is the duty of the government. Whenever we raise these issues, authorities often describe the perpetrators as fringe groups. If they are fringe groups, they must be condemned and brought under control,” he said.
The CBCI president said he had personally raised the issue with Prime Minister Modi on multiple occasions, including during the Prime Minister’s recent participation in Christmas celebrations. He expressed concern over attacks targeting Christians on the basis of religion, stressing that the Church does not view the issue through a political lens. “We are not political people. There have been attacks on Christians purely on the basis of religion, and we are afraid of this trend. We want the Prime Minister to take necessary precautions and clearly condemn such acts,” he said.
Archbishop Thazhath reiterated that the Christian response to violence is guided by faith and non-violence. “Our methodology is not to counter-attack because Jesus has taught us to love all, even our enemies,” he said. He also highlighted the Christian community’s long-standing contribution to nation-building. “Christians have contributed to this country and will continue to do so. Yet, religious discrimination and attacks continue to take place in some parts of the country, which causes fear,” he added.
His remarks come weeks after a pastor, Bipin Bihari Naik, was allegedly assaulted by Bajrang Dal workers in Odisha, where he was reportedly forced to eat cow dung and chant religious slogans. Without referring to specific cases, the Archbishop said attacks on Christians occur in different forms across various regions. He recalled that in August 2025, Catholic nuns and priests from Kerala were allegedly attacked by Bajrang Dal members in Odisha.
The CBCI General Body Meeting will begin on Wednesday under the theme “Faith and the Nation: The Church’s Witness to India’s Constitutional Vision”. Former Supreme Court judge Justice K.M. Joseph and Professor D. Dominic are scheduled to address the gathering on the topic “Current Socio-Political Context and Constitutional Values”.
According to the meeting agenda, deliberations will take place against the backdrop of several developments, including recent Supreme Court directives on a public interest litigation concerning anti-conversion laws, attacks on churches and Christian institutions in different regions, and incidents of violence and intimidation reported during the Christmas season.
In a pre-meeting media briefing, Archbishop Thazhath emphasised that despite being a numerical minority, Christians have made significant contributions to India. He underlined that the Constitution guarantees minority rights and the freedom to practise religion. Countering narratives that portray Christianity as foreign, he said the faith has been present in India for nearly 2,000 years. “Christianity is inherently Indian. It is not alien,” he asserted.
The Archbishop also expressed serious concern over what he described as growing hostility towards Christians, often under the guise of enforcing anti-conversion laws. He said he had conveyed these anxieties directly to the Prime Minister.
Also present at the briefing were CBCI Secretary General Archbishop Anil J.T. Couto, Vice-President II Bishop Joseph Mar Thomas, Deputy Secretary General Fr. Mathew Koyickal, and PRO Fr. Robinson Rodrigues.
