HC stays counselling for NRI quota PG seats in pvt colleges

HC stays counselling for NRI quota PG seats in pvt colleges 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 19.12.2024

Jabalpur : Madhya Pradesh high court on Wednesday, in an interim order, said that NRI quota seats shall not be filled in the ensuing counselling of PG courses at private medical colleges until it delivers the final verdict. The move came in response to a petition that alleges the 15% seats reserved for NRIs in the state’s private medical colleges are being allocated only in eight popular courses and not evenly distributed. A division Bench of high court, comprising Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice Anuradha Shukla, observed, “Taking into consideration the fact that the matter was heard and reserved today and a final decision may take some time, in the interest of justice and with a view to avoid the creation of third-party rights… until the delivery of the final order, the seats under NRI quota shall not be filled in the ensuing counselling of PG courses and be kept in abeyance.” HC reserved its final orders. The PIL, filed by Dr Ojas Yadav from Bhopal, says NEET prepared a merit list for NRIs and although there are 22 branches in medical colleges, state govt allocated NRI quota seats to only eight high-demand branches. Advocate Alok Bagrecha, representing the petitioner, argued that the “excessive allocation” of NRI quota seats in selected branches would affect the rights of meritorious students, as the number of available seats decreased. There are 545 seats in these eight branches, with 152 allocated under NRI quota. NRI quota seats should be distributed across all branches, the counsel said, arguing that the process adopted by state govt is illegal. The seat matrix of private colleges, which outlines the seats allocated to each category, was prepared in violation of Medical Education Admission Rules-2018, the petitioner argued before the court. Instead of the stipulated 15% for NRI quota, 40 to 50% seats have been reserved in various branches, the petition says, adding that choice filling is being conducted without providing time for claims and objections as per admission rules

Student association demands a reduction in cut-off for PG

Student association demands a reduction in cut-off for PG

By HT Correspondent

Dec 17, 2024 07:26 AM IST

IMA's Junior Doctors Network urges Health Minister Nadda to lower NEET-PG 2024 cut-off due to 15,000-16,000 vacant seats post- counselling.

Mumbai: The Indian Medical Association's Junior Doctors Network (IMA-JDN) wrote to union health minister JP Nadda on Sunday, urging a reduction in National Eligibility cum Entrance Test - Postgraduate (NEET-PG) 2024 cut-off. Student association demands a reduction in cut-off for PG

This demand is coming after the second round of the NEET-PG counseling concluded. As per data by National Medical Commission (NMC), after round 2 counselling, 31,490 candidates were declared qualified for admission and around 15,000-16,000 seats remain vacant. Out of this, 1,500 seats are from Maharashtra.

The letter said, "Despite the extensive efforts by the National Board of Examinations (NBE) and other authorities, a significant number of PG seats remain unfilled across the country." It said that these vacancies translate into an underutilization of valuable resources in the country's healthcare education system and hinder the development of a robust medical workforce. The letter also stated that reducing the cut-off marks will ensure eligible and competent candidates to get a seat, which will thereby strengthen the country's healthcare system. “Reduction in cut-off marks will provide another chance to candidate fostering talent development. Also, this will address the disparity between the growing demand for specialized healthcare services and the availability of qualified professionals,” stated the letter.

In NEET PG's second round, 31,490 candidates were declared as qualified for admission. Last year, in a major relief to PG medical aspirants, the union health ministry directed the NMC to reduce the cut-off for qualifying percentile for NEET-PG 2023 to zero across all categories.

Will EWS students securing NRI and mgmt quota seats create a level playing field

Will EWS students securing NRI and mgmt quota seats create a level playing field

Rajlakshmi.Ghosh@timesofindia.com 16.12.2024

NEET PG admissions have sparked debates about fairness as some students from the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) are obtaining management and NRI quota seats in medical colleges. . , requiring them to pay course fees amounting to crores of rupees. However, experts argue that their admissions could be valid considering both Management and NRI quota seats fall under the unreserved category and are open to students from every stratum. Since EWS candidates are those who belong to families with an annual income of less than Rs 8 lakh, there is a murmur on how such candidates can pay a sizeable sum running into crores for their three-year PG degree course. 

Providing clarity 

Clearing doubts about the issue, a senior faculty from a medical college in Delhi-NCR, explains, “As per the norms, both management and NRI quota seats come under the unreserved category, hence these seats are open to EWS candidates, including those from the SC/ST categories, as per merit and choice. The problem arises when candidates claim to be from the EWS category during the application form-filling and later, at the time of reporting for counselling, opt for the NRI/management quota seats where the course fees are high. In such instances, a candidate's EWS certificate has no relevance. If aspirants are raising ethical concerns, they should take it up on a case-to-case basis with the college authorities offering admissions and the relevant administrative bodies, in this case, it is the tehsildar of the respective states that issues the EWS certificate. after the necessary verifications.”

 As per a media report, over 24,600 PG medical seats were allotted in the first round announced on November 20. Of these, 135 management quota seats in the private medical colleges and 8 NRI seats were allotted to candidates registered as EWS in clinical specialties of private medical colleges for which they need to pay tuition fees that could range anywhere between Rs 25 lakh to Rs 90 lakh per annum. It is important to note that the verification of credentials for students applying under the EWS category is typically handled at the state level or by individual colleges rather than directly by the NMC. The recent developments have generated concern regarding the mismatch in the admission process. Many aspiring medical students feel that those who may have wrongfully taken advantage of the EWS classification are undermining the opportunities meant for genuinely disadvantaged individuals.

Private medical colleges often prioritize profit generation, and management and NRI quota seats can command significantly higher fees than government quotas. This financial incentive may lead colleges to overlook regulations on EWS certification,” says Dr B Unnikrishnan, dean, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, MAHE.

Consider doc’s deputation plea for higher studies: HC

Consider doc’s deputation plea for higher studies: HC 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 5.12.2024

Bengaluru : The HC recently said the govt should consider, in a time-bound manner, its employees’ representation seeking permission to take up higher studies. Dr Madhu Kumar MH, a specialist physician working in Mysuru, submitted a request last year. Based on his merit ranking in NEETSS 2023, the medical counselling committee (MCC), DGHS, ministry of health and family welfare, govt of India, allotted him a seat in DNB SS cardiology programme. This is a three-year super-specialty course in medical science at Apollo BGS Hospital, Mysuru. 

The commissioner for health and family welfare services submitted a recommendation dated April 3 to govt to consider his representation for sanction of study leave so that he could complete the course and return after making value addition. The recommendation also cited the need for undergoing the course as there was a dearth of doctors in the department with superspecialty degrees. The said representation wasn’t considered despite the recommendation, so Madhu Kumar moved Karnataka State Administrative Tribunal (KSAT).

On Aug 9, the tribunal granted him relief and directed the govt to consider his representation for permission to go on deputation for higher studies. The state challenged the same before the high court. A division bench of Justices Krishna S Dixit and CM Joshi pointed out that KCSR Rules give discretion to the govt to send its employees on deputation for pursuing special courses such as higher studies, specialised training in professional/technical subjects having a direct and close connection with the sphere of his/her duty. However, as with any discretion, this has to be exercised according to rules of reason and justice, the bench added. 

The bench rejected the govt’s contention that after making value addition, deputationists may quit public employment and go for greener pastures, causing loss to the exchequer. It said the 

employee concerned has to execute a bond, adding: “After all, ours is a constitutionally ordained welfare state and therefore, it has to conduct itself as a model employer.”

HC refuses to vacate stay on PG med counselling results

HC refuses to vacate stay on PG med counselling results 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 04.12.2024

Bhopal : MP high court on Tuesday refused to vacate the stay on declaring results of counselling for admission into PG medical courses on an application moved by state govt. The court stayed declaration of results following a petition filed by some candidates challenging normalisation of marks carried out the second time of candidates registered with MP. They argued that the normalisation process had already been carried out by NEET and there was no reason to do it a second time.

An application was moved on behalf of the state to vacate the stay, which the Bench of Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and Justice Vinay Saraf rejected. In the last hearing, HC issued a notice to National Board of Examination in Medical Science as director, medical education, said that the merit list has been prepared by the board and counselling is being conducted in the state according to norms. Dr Abhishek Shukla and some other candidates in their petition argued that NEET had adopted normalisation while preparing the merit list but the state undertook the normalisation process for the second time with the candidates registered for admission in the state medical colleges. This has brought their position in the merit list lower despite their better ranking in the NEET merit list

NRI quota allocated unfairly to most sought branches: HC

NRI quota allocated unfairly to most sought branches: HC

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 03.12.2024

Jabalpur : The Madhya Pradesh High Court has issued notices and sought replies while hearing a petition alleging that the 15% of seats in the state's private medical colleges, reserved for NRIs, are only being allocated in eight popular courses and not evenly distributed, which is against the rights of meritorious non-NRI students.

The division bench of the high court, comprising Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and Justice Vinay Saraf, issued notices to the respondents, seeking their response. The public interest petition, filed by Dr Ojas Yadav from Bhopal, stated that NEET prepared a merit list for NRIs. Private medical colleges in the state allocate 15% of seats under the NRI quota. Although there are 22 branches in medical colleges, the state govt allocated NRI quota seats to only eight branches, which are in high demand. Advocate Alok Bagrecha, representing the petitioner, argued that the excessive allocation of NRI quota seats in selected branches would affect the rights of meritorious students, as the number of available seats decreased. There are a total of 545 seats in the eight branches, with 152 allocated under the NRI quota. 

NRI quota seats should have been distributed across all branches. The process adopted by the state govt is completely illegal, the counsel said. The seat matrix of private colleges, which outlines the seats allocated to each category, was prepared in violation of the Medical Education Admission Rules-2018, the petitioner claimed before the court. Instead of the stipulated 15% for the NRI quota, 40 to 50% have been reserved in various branches. And, choice filling is being conducted without providing time for claims and objections as per admission rules. After the hearing, the bench issued notices to the respondents, seeking a response within a week

Dual seat allotments cause vacancies in PG med counselling

Dual seat allotments cause vacancies in PG med counselling 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  30.11.2024

Chennai : At least 50 candidates in Tamil Nadu were allotted seats in both govt and management quotas after the first round of postgraduate medical counselling. Candidates can either accept one of the two seats or forgo both and apply for the next round. As a result, between 50 and 100 of these seats, besides others, are expected to remain vacant at the end of the first round. Officials have indicated that this trend of dual postings and subsequent vacancies may continue in the upcoming rounds of counselling this year. 

This year, the state selection committee relied on an error-riddled merit list prepared by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBE). Some students with lower scores were ranked higher, causing confusion. “The rank distribution in the govt quota differs from that in the management quota for nonservice candidates. This discrepancy is understandable for service candidates since they receive added incentive marks to their scores,” said Student Counsellor Manickavel Arumugam. 

For instance, a non-service candidate placed five ranks below another student in the state quota rank list was placed five ranks above the same student in the management quota list. To resolve inconsistencies between the state and manage ment lists, the selection committee conducted parallel counselling for both categories. It also issued a disclaimer and encouraged students to contact the national board for any clarifications regarding the merit list. “The fundamental purpose of an entrance test is to determine which candidate is superior. This test has failed to achieve that objective. It is worse for the state to wash its hands off the responsibility," Arumugam said. 

For the first time, the national board conducted NEET-PG in two batches on Aug 11 and declared results on August 23. The results came in percentiles instead of individual scores. This made it difficult for nearly a dozen states, including Tamil Nadu, which offer additional marks as incentives to in-service candidates. Tamil Nadu wrote to NBE seeking normalised marks so it could add incentive marks for counselling. This request was denied by the NBE. After discussions with the National Medical Commission, the apex body regulating medical education in the state, and the national board, it was decided that NBE would release the merit list using incentive marks given by states. At least two high courts – Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan – have already stayed the counselling following petitions of irregularities in rank lists. “We are hoping the state will do something here too,” said a candidate.

‘EWS’ students get medical PG seats with fees running in crores

‘EWS’ students get medical PG seats with fees running in crores 

FAKEEWS CERTS? Students Ask How They Can Afford It If Their Income Is What they Claim

Rema.nagarajan@timesofindia.com 29.11.2024 

Over 140 candidates belonging to the economically weaker section (EWS, annual family income less than ₹8 lakh) have chosen postgraduate seats in clinical specialties from the management and NRI quotas of private medical colleges for which tuition fees alone range from ₹25 lakh to over ₹90 lakh per annum. This has led to many aspirants questioning how these candidates managed to get the EWS certificate if they could afford to pay over a crore for a three-year postgraduate course. 

The first round of allotment of postgraduate seats in medical colleges was announced on Nov 20. Out of more than 24,600 seats allotted in the first round, 135 seats from the management quota in private medical colleges have been allotted to candidates who registered as EWS. Eight NRI seats have also been allotted to EWS candidates. 

For instance, an MS Orthopaedics seat in the management quota of Sri Lakshmi Narayana Institute of Medical sciences in Puducherry, for which the tuition fee alone comes up to ₹1.6 crore for the entire course has been allotted to an EWS candidate. Similarly, an EWS candidate has got an MD Radiology seat from the NRI quota in Rajarajeswari Medical College and Hospital, Mysore. The annual fees for this seat are ₹91 lakh. Many MBBS graduates who appeared for the NEET PG exam asserted that there was a huge increase in candidates using fake EWS certificates and demanded that the govt initiate an enquiry.

 “Seeing the counselling allotment results, it’s quite frustrating that EWS candidates have taken admission in colleges that charge fees in crores for three years. As a NEET PG aspirant, this is disheartening. How can someone from the EWS category pay this much as fees? How is the  govt issuing these EWS certificates? The govt must cancel the seats of these aspirants,” said a NEET PG aspirant.

PG medical admissions: 44 doctors submit fake certs to avail NRI quota

PG medical admissions: 44 doctors submit fake certs to avail NRI quota

PushpaNarayan@timesofindia.com 26.11.2024 

Chennai : At least 44 doctors have faked their certificates in their applications for postgraduate medical courses in Tamil Nadu under the non-resident Indian (NRI) quota, a verification by the selection committee at the Directorate of Medical Education has found. Half a dozen embassies/ consulates of countries, including those of the US, Dubai, Singapore, Australia and Kuwait, recently confirmed the “ingenuity” of certificates given by these candidates. 

In October, a list published by the postgraduate committee showed that 221 of the 446 (nearly 50%) candidates were ineligible either because they had not submitted adequate documents or because of errors in submission. “While some candidates were allowed to submit documents, the candidature of 44 doctors was declared invalid,” said selection committee secretary Dr P Arunalatha. “We will act against everyone who have produced fake certificates. We asked for legal opinion," she said.

On Monday, officials said the number of ineligible candidates was reduced to 114 from 221 after many candidates submitted relevant documents. More than 20 students faked consulate certificates in 2023, officials said. “If doctors forge certificates, it amounts to unethical practice. They should be debarred,” said Tamil Nadu Medical Council former president Dr K Senthil. At least five students serving their bond period in various govt hospitals applied for admission under the service quota, according to senior officials. “These candidates have also been made ineligible,” said a senior official at the Directorate of Medical Education. Two days ago, the under graduate committee announced that it would file a police complaint and initiate legal action against six candidates who had submitted fake certificates from at least four consulates. 

20% of in-service quota seats to be added to general pool Chennai : At least 20% of seats under the in-service quota in postgraduate medical courses are likely to be added to the general pool in the last few rounds of counselling by the selection committee in Tamil Nadu as there are not enough applicants. “This year, we have nearly 1,150 seats for the in-service quota, but there are just 1,094 applicants,” said a senior official in the selection committee. “Some of these applicants may apply through the general category, leaving no takers for nearly 20% of the seats. So, once we exhaust the in-service merit list, we will add vacant seats to the general pool,” officials said. Doctors' associations said fewer in-service candidates appeared for NEET-PG this year. “We don’t have enough candidates because there aren’t enough doctors,” said Service and Postgraduate Doctors’Association secretary Dr A Ramalingam.

HC refuses to hear PIL against NRI quota in med colleges

HC refuses to hear PIL against NRI quota in med colleges

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  25.11.2024 

Bhopal/Jabalpur : A division bench of MP high court, which had a special sitting on Sunday to hear a public interest litigation over NRI quota in private medical colleges of the state, refused to hear the issue as a PIL. Following this, the petitioner sought to withdraw the PIL, which the court allowed with a liberty to the petitioner to use alternative legal remedies available to him. 

Advocate Vishal Baghel in his PIL said that NEET had prepared a merit list for the NRIs. In the private medical colleges of the state, 15% quota is given to NRIs. There are 22 branches of studies in a medical college, but the state govt has distributed the NRI quota among 8 branches only, which are the most-sought-after branches. He contended that distributing seats of NRI quota among 8 branches rather than all the 22 branches available in medical colleges affects the prospects of meritorious candidates since seats available for them are reduced. 

The state govt's decision to keep NRI quota only in 8 branches rather than all the 22 branches is illegal since it's depriving general candidates of their chance to get admission in their desired branch. The bench headed by the chief justice Suresh Kumar Kait and also comprising Justice Vishal Dhagat while referring to supreme court order said that since the issue concerns admission in a professional course, therefore i can't be heard in the form of PIL. Interests of the petitioner are not being affected in the matter in any manner. Therefore, the issue can't be raised in the form of a PIL. Following this, the petitioner sought to withdraw the petition, which the judges allowed while giving him liberty to use other legal remedies available to him.

₹30L penalty for vacating seat in govt medical college challenged in HC

₹30L penalty for vacating seat in govt medical college challenged in HC 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 24.11.2024

Jabalpur : Challenging the govt's decision to impose a penalty of Rs 30 lakh for vacating a PG seat from a govt medical college, the student, who vacated the seat, moved a petition before the high court, claiming that he vacated the seat due to rag ging and harsh duties. Hearing the petition, the division bench of Justice SA Dharmadhikari and Justice Anuradha Shukla issued a notice to the respondents seeking a response. 

The petition, filed on behalf of Dr Raj Kumar Ahirwar, a resident of Sihora, stated that he belongs to the SC category. He was selected in the NEET exam 2022 and was allotted a PG paediatrics seat at Gandhi Medical College, Bhopal. At the time of admission, he also signed a seatleaving bond. From Nov 2022 to Jan 2023, he allegedly faced ragging at the college. Additionally, he was ma de to work continuously for 48 hours as a junior doctor. Distressed by the harassment, he left the seat in Jan 2023. Due to the seat-leaving bond, the college administration charged him a penalty of Rs 30 lakh to return his original documents. Advocate Aditya Sanghi represented the petitioner.

PG NEET seat matrix not neat on KEA site: Aspirants

PG NEET seat matrix not neat on KEA site: Aspirants 

SruthySusan.Ullas@timesofindia.com 22.11.2024 

Bengaluru : The display format of PG NEET seat matrix on the website of Karnataka Examinations Authority has created confusion among aspirants over the seats available for option entry. The option entry for medical postgraduate seats began on Nov 19 and is open until 4pm on Nov 22. However, when the option entry began, it triggered confusion about the seats available as many colleges displayed streams they did not have.

 “For instance, Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, a super-speciality hospital, was showing seats for ENT, obstetrics and gynaecology (OBG). Similarly, other colleges like Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health, a paediatric speciality hospital, and Sanjay Gandhi Hospital of Trauma and Orthopaedics, which is a trauma and orthopaedic speciality hospital, were also showing ENT and OBG. How is this possible?” asked a parent, who is also a doctor. 

“A seat matrix was initially released by the directorate of medical education. But when we logged in with the personal ID and passcode, several non-existent seats were shown. I, for instance, opted for surgery in Kidwai. It is now reflected in my preferred list. This is very misleading. Does this seat exist?” asked another student. She added that many of her friends also opted for seats that are not reflected in the original list. The students also raised concerns that fees are not reflected on the website. “There is only one more day for option entry. No fees were mentioned until Thursday evening. In some of the seats, there are two fee categories. What if we opt for one, and the fee falls into the higher category? There was a lack of clarity for close to two days after the option entry began,” she said. 

However, KEA said that all colleges in the option entry show all the courses, irrespective of the streams available in the hospital. “This does not mean that they will be allotted these seats that do not exist in a college. Students can check the streams available with each college and apply accordingly. We will change this 

display in order to avoid any more confusion,” a KEA official pointed out. Need to train surgeons in paediatric orthopaedics Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health will start a new super speciality course MCh (Master of Chirurgiae) in paediatric orthopaedics with a yearly intake of three students from this year. With this, the institute will become the only one in the state to offer this. Its director Sanjay KS said, “Bone and joint problems are one of the commonest causes for outpatient consultations and admissions, which forms a huge health burden in the community. The orthopaedic speciality training is mainly focused on adult issues as the cases of trauma and other diseases are more in the adult community, and the paediatric problems are different. Therefore, there is a need to train the surgeons in the field of paediatric orthopaedics, which will benefit society at large in the long term.”

Errors in TN post graduate medical admission merit list spark outrage

Errors in TN post graduate medical admission merit list spark outrage

Pushpa.Narayan@timesofindia.com 18.11.2024 

Chennai : The state selection committee released the state merit list for postgraduate medical admission, loaded with errors, on Sunday with a disclaimer that it was prepared by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences and hence the board “may be contacted regarding any clarification in state rank list.” Some students with higher scores were ranked below students with lower scores on the management quota list. Similar variations were seen on the all-India quota and the state quota lists. “The list is extremely confusing. It reminded me of the NEET-UG 2024 scorecards where some students got the impossible 716/ 720 as NEET marks,” said student counsellor Manickavel Arumugam. 

“A student placed five ranks below another student in the state quota rank list was placed five ranks above the same student in the management quota list. This defies logic. No incentives were given to these students as they are nonservice candidates. I spotted at least 38 such variations between state and management quota,” he said.

NBE conducted NEET-PG in two batches on Aug 11 and declared results on Aug 23. The results came in percentiles instead of individual scores. This made it difficult for at least seven states including Tamil Nadu, which offers additional marks as incentives to in-service candidates. Tamil Nadu wrote to NBE seeking normalised marks so it could add incentive marks for counselling. This request was denied by the NBE. After discussions with the National Medical Commission, the apex body regulating medical education in the state, and NBE, it was decided that the NBE would release the merit list using incentive marks provided by the states. A fortnight ago, the state selection committee sent service incentive percentages (up to 30%) for all in-service candidates based on years of service and terrain to the national board. The state has already raised concerns about the discrepancies with the board.

 “Revisions had errors too. That is why we released the list with a notice to candidates,” the official said. 

Students and parents are fuming. “The state is as irresponsible as the centre. They released the notice only because they knew there were discrepancies. They should have fought for the scores or moved the court instead of washing their hands away,” said Manikandan R, whose nephew is awaiting MD/MS admissions this year.

820 more NEET-PG 2024 seats in all-India counselling process

820 moreNEET-PG 2024 seats in all-India counselling process

India witnessed an increase of 820 postgraduate medical seats in the central counselling process this year. The rise is primarily seen in deemed universities and DNB seats. However, concerns arose as some government colleges were absent from the all-India quota seat matrix, causing uncertainty among students despite the overall increase.

Yogita Rao TNN Nov 11, 2024,

MUMBAI: The total number of postgraduate medical seats increased by 820 so far this year in the central counselling process, which includes the all-India quota seats, deemed and central universities, DNB (Diplomate of National Board), and diploma ones. The seat matrix of the NEET-PG counselling process was released by the central Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) after a dayʼs delay on Saturday. While students claimed that some of the govt colleges were missing from the all-India quota seat matrix, these are likely to be added soon.

The maximum increase in PG medical seats is seen in deemed universities, followed by DNB seats in the country. In DNB alone, where the total seats increased by 494, 103 were added in general medicine, a popular branch among students, followed by orthopaedics with 65 seats and general surgery with 48. While the maximum seats in DNB are available in general medicine (922), it is followed by anaesthesia with 620 seats and general surgery with 500. On the contrary, for the two-year diploma course, more seats are added to the paediatrics branch, followed by anaesthesia and ophthalmology.

PG medical admissions commenced over two months after the NEET-PG results were out. While the results were out on August 23 and the registrations started soon after, the choice filling process started only now.

Sudha Shenoy, a parent representative, said that there is always an increase in the intake capacity, but students are unsure about the entire picture as 335 seats are missing from the all India quota compared to last year. “Even if thereʼs an increase this year, it should have been clear by now as there was already a long delay. For Mumbai students, a civic college in Nerul, which recently got the permission to offer PG courses, was missing from the seat matrix released by the MCC,” she said.

MCC finally declares seat matrix for medical PG

MCC finally declares seat matrix for medical PG

Sudha Shenoy, a parent representative, said, "As expected, the seat matrix was delayed for medical PG admissions. More so, there are more seats in deemed Uuniversities overall than in government colleges."

Written by Pallavi Smart  10.11.2024 

There are 25,791 seats available for grabs for round 1 of the 2024 medical PG admissions. This is 820 more than last year's 24,971 seats. (File image)

After a prolonged delay, the seat matrix for medical post-graduation (PG) admissions has finally been declared by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC). There are 25,791 seats available for grabs for round 1 of the 2024 medical PG admissions. This is 820 more than last year’s 24,971 seats.

According to the admission schedule declared by MCC on November 1, the seat matrix was scheduled to be out on November 7, following which students were to get 10 days to file their choices of colleges in order of preference. However, it was not declared Saturday evening, which had led to candidates growing concerned as they had been waiting for PG admissions to start.

Sudha Shenoy, a parent representative, said, “As expected, the seat matrix was delayed for medical PG admissions. More so, there are more seats in deemed Uuniversities overall than in government colleges.”

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As the medical PG admissions were already delayed, thousands of aspirants had heaved a sigh of relief when MCC declared the admissions schedule last week on November 1. However, there was a delay as the seat matrix which was expected to be out on November 7 was not declared by November 9.

“And since there was no communication from the MCC, students were staring at uncertainty, until the seat matrix was finally out on Saturday evening,” said a candidate.

There has been a reduction of 335 seats in the All India Quota (AIQ) Government Medical Colleges (GMC), which according to parents significantly impacts students who rely on these affordable seats determined by state government regulations.

Another parent representative, Brijesh Sutaria also pointed out how the largest increase in seats is in a category which is largely inaccessible to a majority of students. The largest increase is seen in deemed medical colleges, with 537 additional seats. “However, the fees for these seats are often prohibitively high, making them inaccessible to many students,” Sutaria said, adding that the actual seat increase appears to fall short of what was promised. “The government had promised an increase of around 4,087 seats in PG medical courses for 2024-2025,” said Sutaria.

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PG med counselling ’24, after delay, from Nov 8

PG med counselling ’24, after delay, from Nov 8 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 02.11.2024

Chennai : PG medical counselling for 2024, which faced significant delays, will finally open for choice locking on Nov 8 by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC). Registration for the first round, which opened on Sept 20, will close on Nov 17, a release on Friday said. 

“A series of issues, including new scoring patterns and legal issues, delayed counselling. We have now released dates for state and central counselling and hope to finish by Jan-end. Last date of joining is Feb 5,” a senior official said. All participating institutes have been told to treat all weekends and gazetted holidays as working days. “Data of joined candidates will be shared by DMEs/state counselling authorities with MCC to eliminate candidates in seat processing of round 3 and stray vacancy round.” State counselling authorities have been asked to eliminate such candidates before seat processing of the stray vacancy round. Last date for joining PG courses will be Feb 5, though academic sessions will begin by Dec 20. 

National Board of Examination conducted NEET PG on Aug 11 in two batches. On Aug 23, it declared results and released percentiles, not individual student scores. The state's request for “individual normalised scores” was rejected. At least six states apart from TN told the govt it would be difficult to conduct counselling for in service candidates without individual scores. “Since exams were conducted in two batches, they told us scores cannot be compared or nor malised. They asked us to use only percentiles. We could not do this as we cannot add incentive percentages to per centile scores,” Director of Medical Education Dr J Sangumani earlier said. Officials tried reverse calculations using percentile scores to calculate marks but found it unreliable. After consulting National Medical Commission, NBE said it will release state specific merit list for in-service candidates for 7 states after state selection committees send incentive marks. 

The MCC portal will open for round 1 choice filling between Nov 8 and 17. First round results  will be out on Nov 20 and last date for joining Nov 27. Second round will begin on Dec 4, and results out on Dec 12. Third and online stray vacancy round will follow.

The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) is expected to release the schedule for the NEET PG counselling process on November 11, 2024.

The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) is expected to release the schedule for the NEET PG counselling process on November 11, 2024. 

Reports cited Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA) as saying that the counselling for the NEET PG 2024 will begin from November 11, 2024.

NDTV EDUCATION New Delhi:30.10.2024

The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) is expected to release the schedule for the NEET PG counselling process on November 11, 2024. Reports cited Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA) as saying that the counselling for the NEET PG 2024 will begin from November 11, 2024.

FORDA stated, “NEET PG 2024 counselling to begin latest by 11th of November. The 4-month delay makes the timeline for #2025 challenging. The vicious cycle continues for the 3rd year straight. Will this ever end?”

Candidates who appeared for the postgraduate medical entrance exam and are awaiting counselling will be able to access the schedule on the official website. Once the schedule is available, students can select their preferred colleges and courses on the official MCC portal to participate in the NEET PG 2024 counselling process.

Survankar Datta, president of Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) wrote in a post mentioning that the NEET PG counselling schedule will be put up soon, and recent issues preventing the release of schedule have been resolved.

The Supreme Court will also hear a plea concerning discrepancies in the NEET PG results and a demand for the release of the answer key on November 19.

Comments

The NEET PG 2024 exam was conducted on August 11 in two shifts-from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm and from 3:30 pm to 7:00 pm-for a total of 228,540 candidates. It was held across 170 cities nationwide at 416 centres. In the first shift, 107,959 of the 114,276 registered candidates appeared, while in the second shift, 108,177 of the 114,264 registered candidates attended. The results were declared on August 23.

NEET SS exam pattern changes in Medical Oncology and Critical Care Medicine

NEET SS exam pattern changes in Medical Oncology and Critical Care Medicine 

The inclusion of a separate question paper group may help in the reduction of SS seat wastage 

Ayushi.Gupta1@timesofindia.com TIMES EDUCATION BANGALORE 21.10.2024 

The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) recently amended the exam pattern for admissions to DM/DrNB Medical Oncology and for admissions to DM/DrNB Critical Care Medicine. Medical postgraduates appearing for the NEET Super Speciality (SS) 2025 have opted for broad specialities: General Medicine, Anaesthesiology, Paediatrics, Emergency Medicine and Radiotherapy, will have to attempt a separate question paper group. An official from NMC suggests that steps have been taken to streamline the eligibility criteria for the admission process into the super speciality courses. This pattern has been introduced only for admissions to DM/DrNB Medical Oncology, and for admissions to DM/DrNB Critical Care Medicine.

Dr B Srinivas, secretary, National Medical Commission (NMC) says, “A panel consisting of experts from the related fields, medical institutions and PGMEB members was formed to decide the eligibility criteria for admission into various super speciality courses. After this, the decision was made to bring in these changes. The decision to add a separate question paper group was then informed to NBEMS, which is responsible for conducting the NEET SS exam.” 

Course correction Dr Srinivas says, “Previously, postgraduate students had questions about the limited eligibility for super speciality course admissions. This step has been taken to expand their admission opportunities.”  The students are concerned that changes in the exam pattern increase the hustle for postgraduates. Dr Srinivas says, “There shall be a separate day for the postgraduates to appear for the additional question paper group, meanwhile, the existing question paper group consisting of 150 questions needs to be finished within 150 mins (2 hours and 30 minutes).” There are approximately 6,000 super speciality seats in India, including 4,421 DM and MCh and 1,969 DrNB seats. Around 45,000 candidates pass out every year and around 15,000-17,000 candidates appear in NEET SS annually. As many as 800-1,000 seats remain vacant every year. To reduce such seat wastage, the NMC in 2021 broadened the eligibility options for admission to super speciality courses. 

The introduction of a separate question paper group is one of the similar steps taken by the NMC. Dr Srinivas says, “The step will indirectly help in reducing the seat wastage since it will allow more candidates to take admissions to Oncology and Critical Care Medicine.” Expanding ambit In 2021, NBEMS responded to a petition challenging changes in the exam pattern for NEET SS. An affidavit filed by NBEMS in court mentioned that NEET SS question pattern included 40% of questions from the two opted for super speciality subjects, while 60% were from the general feeder course, which each doctor studies during the normal postgraduation course. Because of that a candidate having pursued a broad speciality, which serves as a feeder for multiple super specialities, was getting restricted to only two super speciality disciplines for admission. Whereas, doctors would be otherwise eligible and available for various other super speciality courses also having pursued the concerned feeder broad speciality.

Govt invites applications for top NMC posts and its four boards, complete overhaul on agenda

Govt invites applications for top NMC posts and its four boards, complete overhaul on agenda

The NMC that had replaced the Medical Council of India faces a management crisis, with the administration raising the issue with the health ministry on several occasions seeking reforms

Priyanka Sharma

Published 8 Oct 2024, 09:37 PM IST

The government has sought applications for the posts of president, secretary and members of NMC, and key positions in the four boards under the NMC.

New Delhi: The health ministry has invited applications to fill posts at the country's medical education regulators following a management crisis at the National Medical Commission (NMC).

It has sought applications for the posts of president, secretary and members of NMC, and key positions in the four boards under the NMC—the Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB), Postgraduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB), Ethics and Medical Registration Board (EMRB) and Medical Assessment Rating Board (MARB).

The NMC that had replaced the Medical Council of India faces a management crisis, with the NMC administration raising the issue with the health ministry on several occasions seeking reforms as reported by Mint earlier.

Mint reported on 27 September that the NMC has sought government intervention to resolve an internal crisis with its four autonomous boards working at cross-purposes, two people aware of the development said. The commission had had to cancel several public notices following poor internal consultations, and had flagged the matter to the Union health ministry.

“While reviewing applications of the medical colleges to the health ministry in July and August, it came to our notice that many such applications have seen conflicting decisions within boards,” the first person said on the condition of anonymity.

Increasing mismanagemet

The disarray comes in the wake of an outcry over leaked question papers in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) that selects candidates for various undergraduate medical courses. NMC, which replaced the erstwhile Medical Council of India, administers NEET, taken by more than 2.3 million candidates this year.

According to a person aware of the matter, while UGMEB imposed penalties on one college, PGMEB allowed the same institution to increase the number of seats. In another case, MARB allowed a college to increase the number of PG seats, only for PGMEB to reduce them. Mint could not identify the institutions involved. The NMC has taken the matter to the health ministry several times, including as recently as August, the people cited above said.

Withdrawing official communications due to poor internal discussions has become frequent, the second official said. On 16 August, PGMEB issued a notice discontinuing all courses under the umbrella of the College of Physicians & Surgeons (CPS), Mumbai. However, it was withdrawn on 30 August after it was challenged in the Bombay High Court. Similarly, the UMEB on 31 August issued Competency-based Medical Education Curriculum (CBME) Guidelines, 2024, before withdrawing it on 5 September.

The NMC was created by a government notification on 24 September 2020, aiming to introduce objectivity, transparency and fairness in the processes, and to provide more operational flexibility and ensure prompt decision-making to improve the quality of medical education. The four boards were envisaged to achieve these objectives, functioning independently with well-defined powers and responsibilities.

A former NMC member said the individual boards are not empowered to issue notifications; only the NMC secretariat may do so. “In fact, between 2021 and 2022, I submitted in writing that the boards were going above the head of NMC, and they cannot take decisions without NMC's order,” the former member said on the condition of anonymity.

Dr J.L. Meena, a former MARB member, said he had raised his concerns about the conduct of the boards to NMC in April. “I myself wrote to the NMC leadership regarding mismanaged boards within NMC. Boards are not doing roles as defined in NMC Act,” he said.

Queries sent to the Union health secretary, the health ministry spokesperson and the NMC secretary remained unanswered.

In December, former NMC secretary Vipul Aggarwal highlighted these issues in a letter to the health ministry, saying the separation of powers between boards was disregarded and the commission is reduced to a “mere rubber stamp”. Mint has seen a copy of the letter.

The letter said the boards were acting independently of each other and the NMC, leading to poor transparency, accountability and grievance redressal, potentially damaging the standards of medical education and harming the NMC's image. The boards had misinterpreted their autonomy to mean independence, and were directly interacting with the ministry and outsiders, potentially leading to serious embarrassment, the letter stated. It suggested the NMC's supervision should be with the NMC secretariat, headed by the secretary.

Aggarwal declined to comment on this matter. “I am not part of NMC now and it is hardly within my responsibility,” Aggarwal told Mint.

The NMC typically imposes meagre fines of a few lakhs of rupees and allows erring institutions to renew their licences without getting deficiencies rectified, alleged Dr. Neeraj Bedi, former medical superintendent of a private medical college in Bhopal, calling it illegal and unethical. At many medical institutions, deans and medical superintendents defer to management demands and the roles themselves are defunct, he said.

“NMC's regulation on Maintenance of Standards of Medical Education Regulations, (MSMER), 2023, clause VIII, which deals with penalties, recommends denial of permission or renewal to medical college applications. This practice is bringing down the quality of medical education in the country. NMC has miserably failed to regulate as apex medical education statutory body to deliver,” Dr. Bedi said.

Dr R.V. Asokan, national president of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), recalled the autonomous tenure of the Medical Council of India. The council had nurtured medical education in India and produced world-class doctors in India for seven decades after independence, Asokan said, adding the NMC has been structurally defective and constrained in many ways.

TN, five states pause PG medical admission Delay In Releasing Scores

TN, five states pause PG medical admission Delay In Releasing Scores

Pushpa.Narayan@timesofindia.com  05.10.2024

Chennai : At least six states including Tamil Nadu have put post-graduate medical admissions on hold. This is because the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences, which conducted NEET PG on Aug 11 and declared results on Aug 23, is yet to release individual scores of students. The NEET PG 2024 was held on Aug 11 in two batches. The NBE, an autonomous body under the Union ministry of health and family welfare, normalised scores of candidates and declared percentile and ranks of students. “We have written to NBE seeking students' scores. Without scores, it will be difficult for us to conduct counselling, particularly for in-service candidates,” said director of medical education Dr J Sangumani. 

The state offers up to 30 marks as incentive to in-service candidates working in hilly regions and difficult terrains. Officials tried reverse calculations using percentile scores to calculate marks; however, they found it was not reliable. “We need students’ scores; else we cannot add incentive marks. We need the normalised scores,” he said. 

Some candidates have approached Supreme Court, seeking transparency in NEET-PG results. “We are expecting to start counselling based on the verdict,” officials in the directorate said. At Centre, the medical counselling committee under DGHS started the NEET PG counselling registration process for round 1 but is yet to release the information bulletin that details the process, including the schedule. However, officials from NBE said they have discussed the issue in detail with National Medical Commission.

 “The normalisation process has been conducted. It is a very complicated process, based on which percentile and scores were arrived at. We will not be able to declare scores. Percentile and ranks are enough for admissions. Ranks show the order of merit,” the official from New Delhi said. NMC officials said they have already announced the new guidelines for admissions. The post graduate medical education regulations-2023 do not permit states to offer incentives for inservice candidates. “Instead, they must create a quota within the in-service quota to incentivise candidates from rural, hilly, or difficult terrains,” a senior official said.

 “Doing this will ensure merit in NEET is not compromised,” he said. While it is yet to be ascertained whether it would benefit or affect candidates in rural areas, government doctors’ associations say NMC must not dictate terms on how admission should be conducted for state quota seats. “These matters were settled in court. It is unfair to bring it up again and change rules now. Many candidates have been working in hilly and difficult terrains expecting incentives. Seats in some specialities are so small that you can’t give quotas,” he said.