SC Fines 10 Rajasthan Dental Colleges Rs 10 Cr Each for NEET Violations

• Supreme Court imposed Rs 10 crore fine on each of 10 private dental colleges in Rajasthan for admitting students without minimum NEET marks in 2016-17.
• A total of Rs 100 crore from colleges and Rs 10 lakh from the Rajasthan government is to be deposited.
• The collected funds will be placed in fixed deposits, with interest used to maintain and upgrade One Stop Centers, Nari Niketans, old age homes, and child care institutions in Rajasthan.
• Degrees of students admitted through fraudulent means were regularized under Article 142, conditional on providing free services during emergencies.
• SC expressed concern over declining education standards, emphasizing strict action; students failing to complete BDS within nine years will be expelled.

Why It Matters: SC penalizes colleges for NEET violations, regularizes student degrees conditionally, and directs funds for social welfare.