PG NEET: NRI application rejection doubles at 324

PG NEET: NRI application rejection doubles at 324 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  17.03.2025 BANGALURU

Bengaluru : Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) rejected 324 applications for NRI (nonresident Indian) quota in PG NEET admissions this time, more than twice the number it did last year. As the PG NEET admissions for 2024-25 come to a close, a closer look at the data shows that KEA received 1,090 applications for NRI seats. This was 91 more than last year. While 766 of these were approved, 324 were rejected. At the same time last year, 850 were approved and 149 rejected. The bigger rejection rate is because of the stringent scrutiny KEA adhered to after a scam in allotting NRI seats was reported from Tamil Nadu. 

It may be recalled that in TN, a verification by the selection committee at the Directorate of Medical Education found that at least 44 doctors faked their certificates in their applications. Candidates applying under NRI sponsorship must have a real blood relation to the financial supporter. “As per the SC rulings, it should be up to first-degree relation. But many of the applications had only distant relations with the sponsor, resulting in their rejection. We also wrote to various embassies asking about the genuineness of the certificates, but we are yet to receive any reply from them,” said H Prasanna, KEA executive director.

“Many candidates approached us and asked us to consider their applications under general category,” he said. The number of seats allotted to NRI quota has also fallen drastically this year. Only 87 seats were allotted, while 344 vacant seats were converted to management. Last year, 394 seats were allotted for NRIs, and only 254 were converted to management. “We are unable to understand why only fewer students took up NRI seats this year. Students try through various states and the All India quota. They might have got better seats elsewhere,” he said.

Lack of grace marks reels in medicos as 14% fail exam

Lack of grace marks reels in medicos as 14% fail exam

Mar 5, 2025, 23:56 IST

SLUG: PG MEDICAL 7.3.2025

Ahmedabad: As many as 14% postgraduate medical students out of 300 who had appeared in their exams in Dec 2024 failed to clear it. All had sought re-checking of the marks. However, as the Gujarat University (GU)'s digital assessment system did not show any scope for alteration, the students and members of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on Wednesday demanded faculty-led re-evaluation. Sources said that the high failure rate was due to discontinuation of grace marks awarded to students.

The result for the MD, MS and DNB courses was declared on Feb 20. The students claimed that they had performed adequately well, but majority have failed in paper 2 and 3. They have submitted a formal request to the university authorities seeking physical re-verification of their answersheets.

In response to the student demonstration, GU authorities plan to petition the National Medical Commission (NMC) for a review. Subject to approval, physical rechecking would be undertaken. Students and ABVP members alleged that their request for manual rechecking remained unaddressed for over a week.

Experts associated with medical examinations stated that earlier practice of awarding minimal grace marks to students who marginally failed was discontinued following recent NMC regulations. "If the student was failing the exam for up to cumulative 5-7 marks, the examiners would often provide the grace marks. But this year, this practice is not followed, and is believed to be one of the reasons for relatively higher failure percentage," said an official associated with medical fraternity.

Private medical colleges save crores on stipends as NMC dithers

Private medical colleges save crores on stipends as NMC dithers

Private medical colleges are saving significant amounts by underpaying or not paying stipends to MBBS interns and resident doctors, despite regulations. The National Medical Commission (NMC) has been ineffective in enforcing standards, leading to disparities and financial exploitation in private institutions.

Rema NagarajanTNN

Mar 2, 2025, 18:17 IST

Private medical colleges are saving crores of rupees by either not paying stipends to MBBS interns and resident doctors or paying them a fraction of what government medical colleges pay. According to the National Medical Commission (NMC), the data on stipend payment submitted by colleges showed that 60 (33 govt colleges and 27 private ones) were not paying MBBS interns any stipend.

Most private colleges have not even submitted the information on how much stipend is being paid. After initially threatening to take action, in the face of colleges not even submitting data sought from them, the apex regulator, the NMC, has passed the buck to state authorities.

Thousands of MBBS students doing clinical duties during the final year internship are being paid less than the national floor minimum wage of Rs 5,300 per month according to the data submitted to Supreme Court by NMC. Data from 20 private colleges shows that they pay Rs 5,000 or less. Many colleges have admitted that they do not pay any stipend. Though this information was available to NMC in July last year, no action has been taken against any college.

The NMC’s PG Medical Education Regulation 2023 stipulate that private colleges have to pay a stipend equivalent to what government colleges of the state pay resident doctors. However, the NMC (Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship) Regulations, 2021 are vague about how much MBBS interns should be paid. They state that "all interns shall be paid stipend as fixed by the appropriate authority applicable to the institution/University or State". Taking advantage of this, many private colleges pay MBBS interns a pittance.

“I had alerted the health ministry to the vague wording in the clause regarding stipend for MBBS interns in 2022, when the draft was put up for comments from the public, and later raised objections when the suggestion was not incorporated. I had requested them to amend the clause to make it mandatory for all colleges to pay stipend at par with government medical colleges of the particular state. Neither the health ministry nor the NMC has done anything about it,” said Dr KV Babu, an RTI activist who has been pursuing the issue over five years.

The stipend paid by some private colleges is as low as Rs 2,000 per month though they take several lakhs as fees per year. For instance, in Andhra Pradesh, government colleges pay MBBS interns Rs 22,500 per month. However, many private colleges are paying just Rs 2,000-5,000 as stipend per month. The tuition fee alone for the MBBS course in these private colleges is Rs 65 lakh for management quota students and over Rs 1.2 crore for NRI quota students. Most of these colleges with about 150 seats each would have had to spend roughly Rs 4 crore per year if they paid stipend equal to what government colleges are paying. By paying the interns a pittance, a college could save over Rs 2 crore or more each year, even as they collect around Rs 50 crore just from tuition fees.

Similarly, in Karnataka, MBBS interns in state government colleges are paid a stipend of Rs 30,000 per month. But many private colleges are paying just Rs 10,000-12,000, while their annual tuition fees for management and NRI seats could be as much as Rs 25 lakh to Rs 45 lakh per year. In Pondicherry, while government colleges pay Rs 20,000 as stipend, a deemed university medical college with 250 seats, where annual tuition fees are Rs 25 lakh, pays just Rs 5,000. The college earns over 1.2 crore from each MBBS student, but spends less than one lakh rupees on stipend for each student.

There is wide variation even in the stipend paid in government colleges from about Rs 35,000 in Assam to just Rs 12,000 in Uttar Pradesh. This is despite a long-standing demand of MBBS students for the amount to be centrally fixed and made mandatory for all colleges whether government or private. NMC was not even acting on the issue of non-payment of stipend till the Supreme Court categorically stated that paying stipend was mandatory. The case drags on as NMC claims to be struggling to get data from medical colleges. Instead of asking colleges, which are under its direct control, the NMC has been writing innumerable letters to the directorate of medical education of various states asking them to submit the data from all colleges on payment of stipend.

Stipend paid to MBBS interns (in Rs)

State

Govt

Pvt

Assam

35,000

NA

West Bengal

29,700-32,000

12,500-28,000

Karnataka

30,000

10,000-25,000

Odisha

28,000

15,000

Tamil Nadu

25,000-27,300

2,750-13,500

Delhi

26,300

no info

Meghalaya

26,300

NA

Kerala

26,000

10,000-16,000

Telangana

25,900

2,000-10,000

Arunachal

25,000

NA

Andhra Pradesh

22,500

2,000-10,000

Tripura

20,500

no info

Bihar

20,000

10,000

Goa

20,000

NA

Himachal Pradesh

20,000

no info

Pondicherry

20,000

2,500-5,000

Gujarat

18,200

12,000

Maharashtra

18,000

4,000-12,000

Uttarakhand

17,000

5,000

Punjab

15,000

15,000

J&K

12,300

no info

Haryana*

12,000

no info

Mizoram

12,000

NA

Uttar Pradesh

12,000

4,000-7,500

Sikkim

NA

14,500

NA- not applicable since the state may not have a private college, or a govt college in the case of Sikkim

No info- the information has not been submitted by the state/college

*only one college has given data and the amount is wrong since Haryana revised the stipend to Rs 17,000 in 2018 and last year it was revised again to Rs 24,310.

States which had not submitted any information included Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Manipur, Nagaland, and the union territories of Chandigarh and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The stipend in govt colleges in Rajasthan is Rs 14,000, in Jharkhand it is Rs 17,000, Rs 15,900 in Chhattisgarh and almost Rs 14,000 in Madhya Pradesh.

Source: Affidavit filed by the NMC in court in July 2024

Amid PG med admission chaos, aspirants at a loss

Amid PG med admission chaos, aspirants at a loss

Yogita.Rao@timesofindia.com  14.02.2025

Mumbai : The woes of postgraduate medical aspirants continue this admission season. While they appeared for NEET-PG last Aug, many are still waiting to secure seats. The counselling process eventually commenced in Nov, but many are still frustrated with the delays and confusion. Even as the Directorate General of Health Services’ (DGHS) medical counselling committee (MCC) set a deadline of Feb 15 to close the admissions across the country in the third round, the state is yet to start the third round, creating confusion for aspirants. A fresh set of eligibility guidelines released by the MCC for the stray vacancy round on Wednesday, which contradicts the state’s pro cess, has stumped a few. Since the state is yet to declare the allotment list in the third round, candidates who may have a chance in the state are unable to secure seats in other states, said parent representative Sudha Shenoy. 

“If astudent secures a seat in the third round somewhere else, and his/her name appears in the Maharashtra state list in the third round, they will lose aseat in their home state. If they let go of the other seat and they do not even get a seat in Maharashtra counselling, they will be out of the process. Due to the delay in Maharashtra, they are unable to take a definitive call,” she said. In the circular released by MCC, the authority specified that the candidates who did not join their allotted seats through the central process in round three are ‘not eligible’ to participate in the upcoming stray vacancy round, but it said that the ‘not reported’ candidates are eligible for state counselling. Parent Brijesh Sutaria, though, said that the state considers only the allotment list for making students ineligible. A CET cell official said the same circular mentions the candidates can contact the state counselling authorities for information on state quota seats and therefore the state guidelines will be followed. The official also said the state’s third list allotment will be released in a day or two  and they are awaiting an updated merit list from the National Board of Examinations. The state has written to MCC explaining the situation and to seek a deadline extension.

NEET 2024 | Vacant NRI PG Seats In Private Colleges To Be Included In Last Round Of Counselling For General Quota: State To Madhya Pradesh HC

NEET 2024 | Vacant NRI PG Seats In Private Colleges To Be Included In Last Round Of Counselling For General Quota: State To Madhya Pradesh HC

Anukriti Mishra

4 Feb 2025 5:30 PM

In a plea seeking inclusion of 48 vacant NRI seats of Private Medical Colleges and its conversion into General quota seats for meritorious candidates, the State government told the Madhya Pradesh High Court that if NRI seats are vacant, it will be filled from the General category based on merit in the last round of the counselling process of NEET-PG 2024.

A division bench of Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and Justice Devnarayan Mishra was hearing a plea which claimed that 48 seats of NRI category candidates are lying vacant and those seats are not being offered to the candidates appearing in the First Round and in the Second Round and the Director Medical Education is waiting for new NRI Candidates whereas, factually it is impossible to get new NRI Candidates in the State because it has been exposed that "fictitious NRI category candidates have blocked the seats in Private Medical Colleges".

The plea claimed that as per the directions of the Supreme Court the 48 seats must be converted for general category candidates who can get it as per merit and the seats should not go vacant.

During the hearing on January 31, the State's counsel relied on Rule 14(A)(2) of the Madhya Pradesh Medical Education Admission Rules, 2018 and submits that in terms of Rule 14 (A)(2), in case the NRI seats are left vacant, "the same are to be included in the last round i.e. mop up round in the General Category and are to be filled on the basis of merit-cum choice".

For context, there are three rounds of counselling in NEET-PG. The mop up round is the last round of the counselling process.

The order thereafter noted,"She submits that the left over seats out of the 48 NRI seats that remain (ing) vacant shall be filled up at the time of mop up round from the General Category based on merit-cum-choice. The statement is taken on record".

In view of the statement, the petitioner's counsel sought to withdraw the plea which was permitted by the high court.

As per the factual matrix of the case, the petitioner–Dr. Khyati Shekhar–appeared in NEET-PG Exam 2024 as a General Category candidate securing a rank of 936 in the State.

As per her Rank and State Percentile of 87.25 and NEET Percentile of 87.27 she would have got the best subject in the Post-Graduation in any of the Private Medical Colleges of Madhya Pradesh. But after completion of First Round of Counselling she was not allotted any seat, because of 48 fake NRI Candidates whose seats were blocked and not being offered to the students as per their merit position either in the first round or in the second round or in the mop-up/last round of counselling.

It was submitted that even after Supreme Court's verdict in Index Medical College, Hospital & Research Centre v/s The State of Madhya Pradesh & Others (2021) and the verdict of Madhya Pradesh High Court in the matter of Dr. Yogyata Marothi (W.P. No. 28721 of 2023), the Director Medical Education is sleeping over the matter and the 48 seats reserved for NRI candidates are going to waste. The petitioner had sought a direction to the respondents to include the 48 seats allocated to the NRI quota in the General quota, in case they are not filled up by bonafide NRI candidates on the basis of merit.

Case Title: Dr. Khyati Shekhar Versus The State Of Madhya Pradesh And Others, Writ Petition No. 3718 Of 2025

Counsel for Petitioner: Senior Advocate Aditya Sanghi

Counsel for State: Adv. Janhavi Pandit

62-year-old paediatrician set to join MD pharmacology course

62-year-old paediatrician set to join MD pharmacology course

Dr. Ramchander, with a distinguished career in the field of paediatrics spanning over three decades, cracked the NEET-PG 2024 and secured a seat in MD (Pharmacology)

Updated - February 04, 2025 11:50 am IST - NIZAMABAD

P. Sridhar

Dr. Neeli Ramchander | Photo Credit: By Arrangement

In his quest to acquire a new qualification and take up medical teaching, Dr. Neeli Ramchander, the 62-year-old noted paediatrician of Nizamabad town, is all set to join the MD (Pharmacology) course in the Government Medical College, Nizamabad, on Tuesday.

Dr. Ramchander, with a distinguished career in the field of paediatrics spanning over three decades, cracked the NEET-PG 2024 and secured a seat in MD (Pharmacology). As the adage goes, “Learning is a continuous process in life”, Dr Ramchander is poised to become a student to become a specialist in pharmacology at the age of 62. He held various key positions including national vice-president of Indian Academy of Paediatrics-2014, founder-president of Telangana State Paediatrics Body.

“My unfulfilled ambition to pursue MD course prompted me to appear for NEET PG-2024,” said Dr. Ramchander, a recipient of a host of awards including President of India’s National Redcross Gold Medal (2017-2018).

“I had left B.Pharm course in 1982 and joined the MBBS course in Kakatiya University the same year. I did Diploma in Child Health (DCH) between 1991 and 1993 to offer my services in the field of paediatrics. But I could not fulfill my ambition to pursue MD course as I had devoted my whole time for the profession and social service in the last three decades,” he added.

Now the opportunity came for me to join the MD course and I am eager to complete the course with utmost diligence, he vows. This will help me acquire a new qualification to start a new innings in the field of teaching, asserts Dr. Ramchander, expressing his readiness to share his professional expertise with future healthcare professionals.

Published - February 04, 2025 02:10 am IST

Choice-filling for PG med seats ends today

Choice-filling for PG med seats ends today 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  04.02.2025 

Ahmedabad : The central govt health ministry announced an extension for postgraduate medical course choice filling until 11.55pm on Tuesday (Feb 4). The admission committee for professional undergraduate & postgraduate medical educational courses (ACPUGMEC, ACPPGMEC) on Saturday launched a fresh round of choice filling after the NEET PG percentile criteria were reduced in Jan. The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) adjusted the NEET PG 2024 qualifying percentile across categories on Jan 4 to address unfilled MD, MS, and diploma positions across the country. The revised criteria permit general and EWS (economically weaker section) category candidates scoring 15 percentile and above to join counselling, while SC, ST, OBC, and PwD categories can participate with 10 percentile and above. 

Committee sources indicated that nearly 900 students were eligible for this choice-filling round, which concludes at 11.55pm on Tuesday. The previous year witnessed the NEET PG qualifying percentile being reduced to zero across all categories due to widespread vacancies. In Gujarat, following second-round allocations for postgraduate medical programmes, 212 positions remained unreported in MD, MS, and diploma courses, with 69 seats unfilled, amounting to 281 vacant positions.

NEET PG 2024: Round 3 choice filing window opens; allotment on January 21

NEET PG 2024: Round 3 choice filing window opens; allotment on January 21

NEET PG 2024 Registration: According to the revised schedule from the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), the choice-locking process for Round 3 has been started and will close on January 20 at 8 am.

By: Education Desk

New Delhi | Updated: January 19, 2025 17:58 IST

The choice-filling process for NEET PG 2024 round 3 began on January 12. (Express Photo/ Representational Image)

NEET PG 2024 Registration: The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has closed round three of NEET PG counselling registration. Candidates who did not register had a chance till noon to register and pay the fee by 3 pm till January 19 at mcc.nic.in. The deadline for the same is closed. The seat allotment will be released on January 21.

The choice-filling process for NEET PG 2024 round 3 began on January 12. According to the revised schedule from the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), the choice-locking process for Round 3 has started today at 4 pm and will close on January 20 at 8 am.

Recently, the MCC withdrew 23 seats from the NEET PG 2024 Round 3 seat matrix, while 12 new seats have been added to the counselling for this round. Among the removed seats are two post-MBBS Diplomate of National Board (DNB) General Surgery vacancies at Ruby General Hospital in Kolkata.

As per the revised criteria, for general and EWS category candidates have to score 15 percentile and above while 10 percentile is for SC, ST, OBC, and PwD categories candidates to participate in the counselling process.

NEET UG 2025 EXAMINATION NTA PUBLIC NOTICE

 

8,000+ PG medical seats vacant in allIndia third round; parents fear admissions may be delayed 15.01.2025

8,000+ PG medical seats vacant in allIndia third round; parents fear admissions may be delayed 

 15.01.2025 TIMES OF INDIA MUMBAI 

Mumbai : More than 8,000 postgraduate seats are vacant in medical colleges across the country for the third all-India round of admissions. Besides, close to 100 new seats are added to the process. With the eligibility criteria brought down to 15 percentile in NEET-PG for admissions to postgraduate seats, many more students will now be eligible to participate in the third round. Postgraduate medical admissions have been delayed this year even as the results for NEET-PG were announ ced in July last year. The NEET-PG admission deadline this year is Feb 15.

The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) under the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has released the seat vacancy list for the upcoming third round. Parent representative Sudha Shenoy, though, said the second round of admissions is still not over in several states, and therefore now the third round is likely to be delayed. Seats even in sought-after courses such as general medicine, radio-diagnosis and general surgery, are also vacant for the the third round. At the start of the process, the cutoff was 50 percentile. It was lowered further as many seats, including in clinical courses, were vacant after the second round. Several students' organisations also demanded lowering of the percentile to fill the vacant seats.

NEET PG 2024: MCC round 3 counselling deadline extended

NEET PG 2024: MCC round 3 counselling deadline extended

MCC NEET PG 2024 Counselling: The reporting and the joining at the allotted colleges will be done between January 18 and January 25.

By: Education Desk

New Delhi | Updated: January 13, 2025 09:35 IST

The registration deadline for round three has been extended to January 15. (File)

MCC NEET PG 2024 Counselling: The Medical Counselling Committee has revised the NEET PG counselling schedule for round three. The NEET PG final seat allotment list is to be released on January 18. The choice filling and locking window deadline for round three has been extended to January 16 up to 8 am.

Following a reduction in the percentile cut-off, the MCC has announced revised dates for round three of the NEET PG counselling.

The choice locking facility will be available from 8 am on January 15 up to 8 am on January 16, read the notice. The processing of the seat allotment will be done between January 16 and January 17.

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Eligible candidates seeking admission to PG medical colleges based on the updated cut-off percentile can register by January 15. The reporting and the joining at the allotted colleges will be done between January 18 and January 25.

The general and EWS category students scoring 15 percentile and above will be eligible to participate in the counselling. The new and revised cut-off required to become eligible for NEET PG counselling is 10 percentile and above for students belonging to SC, ST, OBC and PwD categories.

The NEET PG cut-off percentile was 50th for unreserved categories, 45th for PwD categories and 40th for reserved category students.

NMC to reduce workload of resident doctors by lowering NEET PG cut-off

NMC to reduce workload of resident doctors by lowering NEET PG cut-off 

To utilise the workforce efficiently, pre-clinical and para-clinical residents will receive training for OPDs

 Ayushi.Gupta1@timesofindia.com 13.01.2025

The medical fraternity is divided over the Union Health Ministry and the National Medical Commission’s (NMC) recent decision to lower the admission cut-off for the NEET-PG 2024 exam. Professionals argue that lowering the cut-off will compromise the quality of medical professionals and will benefit private institutions by allowing them to fill their seats and earn profits by admitting underqualified aspirants. Refuting these claims, the NMC states that the move aims to increase the number of practicing resident doctors and reduce stress caused by excessive workloads. Additionally, it seeks to address the issue of seat wastage in non-clinical medical specialisations such as Pharmacology, Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, and Microbiology. The cut-off for PG medical aspirants has been reduced to the 15 percentile for General and EWS candidates and the 10 percentile for SC, ST, OBC, and PwD candidates. 

Dr B Srinivas, secretary, NMC, says, “Lowering the percentile will not impact the quality of medical professionals, as all candidates are already qualified MBBS doctors with first-hand experience in treating patients. After enrolling in PG courses, these doctors will undergo further training needed in the course. Moreover, every postgraduate student must clear their final exams to earn their PG degree. Those who fail can only continue practicing as MBBS doctors.” 

Sharing the workload 

By lowering the cut-off, the NMC aims to address the issues of burnout in doctors and overworked resident doctors. According to a survey conducted by the NMC’s Mental Health Task Force in 2024, prolonged hospital duties have been a significant risk factor for mental health issues among medical students. Dr Srinivas says, “This step is both patient and resident doctor-friendly, as it will increase the number of resident doctors in all hospital OPDs, where staff shortages often overburden the existing workforce.” Meanwhile, clinical specialisations remain the most preferred choice for NEETPG aspirants, leaving pre-clinical and para-clinical specialisations with vacant seats. Both government and private colleges face significant resource loss due to seat vacancies.

 “The government incurs a setup cost of Rs 1 to Rs 1.5 crore per seat. When these seats remain vacant for all three years, the resources are wasted, benefiting no one. Allowing students with lower scores to fill these seats will reduce wastage helping colleges operate efficiently,” adds Dr Srinivas. Many private colleges reduce fees for non-clinical branches after the first two rounds of MCC counselling, making these courses more affordable, he adds. 

Creating more jobs 

A prominent reason for student disinterest following low enrolment in nonclinical PG courses is the lack of job prospects and financial stability, which has resulted in vacant seats. To counter this, the NMC plans to integrate non-clinical specialisations into roles with clinical exposure, leveraging the existing workforce, as was used during the Covid pandemic. “We are working to involve pre-clinical and para-clinical residents in OPD duties and use their skills in nursing homes, community services, and hospitals. This is a more effective use of manpower compared to many AYUSH doctors working in such roles in allopathic hospitals.

 Pre-clinical and paraclinical students have comparable skills and can be trained for clinical duties, expanding their job opportunities,” says Dr Srinivas. Previously, many NEETPG aspirants had appealed to the NMC to lower the cutoff, enabling them to enrol in non-clinical courses. “MBBS doctors have written letters requesting NMC to absorb them into pre-clinical and para-clinical courses, which will help them save time and further enhance their careers,” adds Dr Srinivas

HC breather for NEET PG in-service candidates

HC breather for NEET PG in-service candidates 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 12.01.2024

Bhopal/Jabalpur : In a relief to in-service candidates of NEET PG exam, a division bench of MP high court has said that they should not be compelled to surrender allIndia quota seats till the results of second round of NEET PG counselling is declared. The candidates’ security money should not be confiscated either, HC said. The petitioners -Dr Yash Dubey and some other candidates –say they are eligible to appear in counselling both under the central and state quota. They say they have been allocated seats in the second round of counselling in which they appeared under state quota. If they wish to retain these seats, they will have to surrender their seat under all-India quota by Jan 14 and their security money would also be seized.

Since there is a high court stay on declaring the result of the second round of counselling, they don't know which seats have been allotted to them. They prayed to the court to relax the rule of surrendering the all-India quota seat by Jan 14, which the bench of Justice S A Dharmadhikari and Justice Anuradha Shukla allowed. Advocate Himanshu Mishra appeared in the case for the petitioners

Colleges offer incentives for pre & para-clinical students

Colleges offer incentives for pre & para-clinical students

PG Courses See Low Enrolment, Lack Of Faculty

SruthySusan.Ullas@timesofindia.com 12.01.2025

Bengaluru : With pre-clinical and para-clinical courses in postgraduate medical admissions finding no takers, medical colleges are sweetening their offers. Many have promised tuition fee waiver, free boarding and lodging, stipends and jobs on course completion to lure students this year as well. Even after two rounds of counselling were completed, many colleges had zero intake in these programmes. The branches include anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, forensic medicine, microbiology and pharmacology. The fee ranges from Rs 1.1 lakh to Rs 3.5 lakh at private colleges. A public notice from Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, dated Jan 8, states the college has decided to provide full tuition fee waiver for candidates allotted seats during counselling by KEA for all pre-clinical and para-clinical subjects, except pathology and community medicine, for 2024-25.

The college has also promised free accommodation, boarding and lodging. A stipend will be paid in line with govt standards. There’s also a job guarantee with senior resident salary of around Rs 1.3 lakh a month. At the same time, there will be no obligation for the candidates to join the institution after course completion. Of the 20 seats, three in community medicine are filled so far this year. The college, which made a similar offer last year, could attract only around four students in these courses. Several other colleges have also come up with similar offers. 

Oxford Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre has also offered a tuition fee waiver if it gets students. “After the eligibility was reduced by NMC (National Medical Commission) to 15% for the general category, we decided to waive tuition fees. We’re willing to give Rs 30,000, Rs 35,000 and Rs 40,000 over the  three years as stipend,” said chairman Narasimha Raju. “We aren’t able to get preand para-clinical teachers. Anatomy has the biggest scarcity. Therefore, we want to encourage students to take this up. It’s a very good opportunity for students as the eligibility was also reduced. There is a huge demand for teachers in these programmes when compared to clinical programmes,” he added. 

Dr ME Mohan, dean of BGS Global Institute of Medical Sciences, agreed: “We have 26 seats and nothing is filled in the first two rounds. Nobody is willing to join these programmes as everyone wants to become clinicians. Hardly 10-15% seats get filled up in govt colleges and much less in private colleges. But these are foundation courses. We’re willing to appoint them immediately after they graduate.”

Med admission scam using bogus NRI certs busted in TN

Med admission scam using bogus NRI certs busted in TN 

Colleges And Edu Coaching Centres Involved 

A.Selvaraj@timesofindia.com 12.01.2025

Chennai : The crime branch probe into the NRI certificate scam for under-graduate and postgraduate medical admissions has unearthed a widespread network involving educational counselling centres manipulating the medical admission process. In Nov 2024, the director of medical education said at least 44 doctors had faked their certificates in their applications for postgraduate medical courses in Tamil Na du under the non-resident Indian (NRI) quota. 

The directorate also found six MBBS aspirants had forged the embassy certificates, and three of them managed to get seats allotted in self-financing colleges. Their admissions were cancelled. More than half a dozen embassies/consulates of countries, including those of the US, Dubai, Canada, Singapore, Australia and Kuwait, confirmed the “ingenuity” of the certificates given by these candidates. Officials from the embassies also sought an action taken report from the govt. 

The Central Crime Branch’s forgery investigation wing led by assistant commissioner of police M Gayathrion on Saturday uncovered substantial evidence of malpractice during their raids conducted at eight private educational institutions.

105  documents, tech gadgets seized during probe 

During the searches, investigators discovered sophisticated document-forging equipment and multiple sets of fraudulent stamps. The searches were held at Sree Sai Educational Academy, Pallavaram; Meta Neet, Porur; Sri Sai Career Next Academy, Saligramam; Sri Sai Career Next Academy, Nungambakkam; Zion Career Solutions, Velachery; Life Link Education Consultancy, Anna Nagar; Study India Education Consultancy, Ashok Nagar; and Madha Medical College, Kundrathur. 

During the search, 105 incriminating documents relating to the case, 19 seals, 22 computers, two pen drives, five hard disks and mobile phones were seized. The documents will be scrutinised, and further action will be taken, said officials. Police have stumbled upon the involvement of centre owners, staff members and potential middlemen who facilitated these illegal admissions. The investigation also exposed possible collusion between these centres and officials in key positions. The counselling centres were found to be charging exorbitant fees from students, promising guaranteed medical seats under the NRI quota. 

They fabricated documents, including embassy certificates and supporting paperwork, to create false NRI credentials for local candidates. The Directorate of Medical Education and Research initiated a comprehensive review of all NRI quota admissions from previous years to identify potentially fraudulent cases. They are implementing stricter verification protocols for the upcoming admission cycles. The authorities are also examining the financial transactions of these centres to trace the money trail. 

The Tamil Nadu Medical Council has been notified about these findings and may take additional action against any licensed medical professionals found to be involved in the scheme. The state govt is considering new regulations to prevent such fraudulent practices in medical admissions. Students, who unknowingly participated in these fraudulent admissions, are being advised to cooperate with authorities. The investigation continues to expand as more evidence emerges, potentially involving other educational institutions and consultancies across the state.

HC upholds NRI seat reservations for med PG admissions

HC upholds NRI seat reservations for med PG admissions 

ALLOCATION OF SEATS TODAY 08.01.2025

TIMES NEWS NETWORK Bhopal : MP High Court's decision has cleared the path for filling up NRI quota PG seats in Madhya Pradesh medical colleges. The court found that the reservation process followed by DME was in accordance with established guidelines. The total number of 152 seats under NRI quota will now be filled as per schedule. The counseling process will proceed in two phases. First, the seat allocation will take place on Jan 8, followed by college-level admissions from Jan 9 to Jan 13. 

The DME has already issued detailed guidelines on its official website regarding the documentation and verification process. The colleges must ensure proper verification of NRI status documents before confirming admissions. Any discrepancy in documentation will lead to immediate cancellation of the admission. The petitioner's main contention about limiting NRI quota to clinical subjects was examined by the court. However, the bench found no irregularity in the current allocation system. The court emphasized that the 15% NRI quota in private medical colleges is as per national guidelines. Dr AK Shrivastava confirmed that the DME office has started preparations for smooth conduct of the counseling process. The eligible candidates will need to present their documents, including NRI status proof, at designated centers. The verification process will be stringent to ensure transparency in admissions. The first round of counseling had been temporarily suspended due to the legal challenge. Now, with the court's clearance, the admission process will proceed without further delays. This development brings relief to numerous NRI candidates who were awaiting clarity on their admission status. This judgment sets a precedent for future NRI quota allocations in medical admissions across MP. The DME has ensured strict adherence to all guidelines during the admission process

NEET eligibility percentile cut for PG intake

NEET eligibility percentile cut for PG intake

0.01.2025

Ahmedabad : The Medical Counseling Committee (MCC) has lowered the NEET PG 2024 qualifying percentile across categories to address vacant MD and MS seats nationwide. Following this decision, the state admission committee has declared an additional admission round for 281 PG medical seats in the state. According to MCC's statement, "..as per decision taken by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in consultation with National Medical Council, the percentile for NEET PG counseling 2024 has been lowered." General and EWS category candidates with scores of 15 percentile and above can now participate in counselling. For SC, ST, OBC, and PwD categories, the revised eligibility threshold is 10 percentile and above. In the previous year, due to substantial vacancies nationwide, the NEET PG qualifying percentile was reduced to zero across all categories.

In Gujarat, post second-round allocations for postgraduate medical programs, 212 positions remained unreported in MDMS and diploma courses, while 69 seats remained vacant, totaling 281 seats. ACPUGMEC, ACPPGMEC announced a fresh admission round on Saturday to potentially fill these vacancies. The committee established Dec 29 as the deadline for online allocation and reporting for postgraduate medical courses for the 2024-25 academic year. Students were required to complete verification and reporting by 12pm on Dec 29 after second-round allocations. From 2,101 allocated positions in the second round, 1,958 students finished their reporting within the given time frame. TNN

HC relief for student who was denied AIIMS PG seat

HC relief for student who was denied AIIMS PG seat

 NOT ON TIME DUE TO MISSING HER FLIGHT 

Vaibhav.Ganjapure@timesofindia.com 03.01.2025

Nagpur : Bombay high court on Thursday came to the rescue of a postgraduate medical aspirant who was denied participation in counselling for admission to AIIMS Kalyani in Bengal for not reporting on time due to a missed flight last year.Terming the case ‘exceptional’, HC’s Nagpur bench of justices Nitin Sambre and Vrushali Joshi directed AIIMS authorities to allow 27-yearold petitioner Kalyani Chakrawar to participate in the ongoing admission process. Chakrawar, with an all-India rank of 119, was allotted a seat in general medicine at AIIMS Kalyani. She was required to complete admission formalities by 5pm on Dec 24. However, she missed her scheduled 7.30am flight from Nagpur to Kolkata, failing to report in time. 

After AIIMS refused to consider her requests to allow her to take part in the second round of counselling, she moved HC, challenging the stringent counselling rules. Despite Christmas vacation, HC prioritised the case and held an emergency hearing on Dec 31, asking AIIMS authorities to file a response. After reviewing arguments from both sides, the court ruled in her favour, allowing her to join the second round of admissions.

IMA writes to doctor MPs and MLAs to oppose ‘mixopathy’

IMA writes to doctor MPs and MLAs to oppose ‘mixopathy’ 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 01.01.2025

Ahmedabad : The Gujarat State Branch of the Indian Medical Association (GSBIMA) on Tuesday wrote letters to MPs and MLAs with a medical background to garner support for opposing ‘mixopathy’ in the state. The letters are in the context of a proposed meeting by the state health department on Jan 3 to discuss ways to allow doctors with a degree in ayurveda to practise allopathy in a controlled manner. IMA already approached the senior health department officials to protest the move. The letters are written to MPs and MLAs along with senior functionaries such as Dr Darshita Shah, Dr Darshna Deshmukh, Dr Hasmukh Patel, Dr Payal Kukrani, Dr Pradyumna Vaja, Dr Tushar Chaudhary, and Dr Jashwantsinh Parmar, among others.

‘Allowing or promoting mixopathy could lead to hazardous outcomes, including misdiagnoses, inappropriate treatments, and serious ad verse events. This not only jeopardises the health of individual patients but also undermines public trust in the healthcare system as a whole,’ mentioned the letter. The officials also sought time from the functionaries and lawmakers to explain the finer points of the proposal. On Tuesday, the Federation of Family Physicians’Associations of India also wrote a letter to Rushikesh Patel, the state health minister, to protest the move. ‘We request to delve deeper into this critical issue, reject any unreasonable demand from anyone, and collaboratively explore solutions that will ensure the health and safety of Gujarat’s citizens remain uncompromised,’ mentioned the letter

212 PG medical seats vacant after Round 2

212 PG medical seats vacant after Round 2

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 29.12.2024

Ahmedabad : Following the second-round allocations for postgraduate medical programmes, 212 positions in MD-MS and diploma courses remained unfilled, the Admission Committee for Professional Undergraduate & Postgraduate Medical Educational Courses announced on Saturday.

Of the 2,101 seats allocated in the second round, students confirmed admissions for 1,958 positions. The remaining vacancies include 143 unreported seats from the second round and 69 unallocated positions, totalling 212 vacant seats. The admission committee set a deadline of Dec 29 for online allocation and reporting for postgraduate medical courses, including MD, MS, and diploma programmes for the academic year 2024-25. Students were asked to report and verify their admissions for postgraduate courses by 12pm on Dec 29, following the second round of allocations. The admission committee is expected to release an official statement shortly regarding the process for filling these vacant positions and related administrative matters.