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.

11 nursing colleges await nod from finance department

11 nursing colleges await nod from finance department

 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  17.11.2024

Chennai : In April 2023, the state announced it had permission from the Center to establish 11 new nursing colleges in existing govt medical college campuses, with an intake of 100 students each. But the files related to these colleges are still awaiting approval from the finance department. The central government agreed to cover 60% of the costs. "Once established, these colleges will increase the number of govt nursing colleges in the state to 17," health minister Ma Subramanian said. 

The directorate of medical education submitted a proposal to the state finance department a few weeks later. “They wanted to know if the Center will fund recurring expenses such as salaries every year. Officials in the ministry told us the scheme allows funding only for the establishment of the college. So it is a one-time funding that can be used for construction of buildings,” said a senior health department official. The finance department also sought justification for new colleges. 

According to TN nursing council, the state, which has more than 1.8 lakh nurses, will in 2025 achieve the WHO recommendation of a minimum of three nurses per 1,000 population to ensure adequate healthcare coverage. "This ratio is crucial for providing quality healthcare services and addressing the global shortage of healthcare professionals," said TN Nurses and Midwives Council registrar S Ani Grace Kalaimathi. "While India has 1.8 per 1,000 population, TN will have close to 3 per 1,000," she said.

 Director of Medical Education Dr J Sangumani did not respond to calls, but officials in DME said they were unable to justify the need for more nursing colleges to the finance department. “The govt has 26 schools of nursing offering three year diploma courses in addition to the six colleges of nursing. In addition, more than 250 private colleges are offering more than 16,000 BSc nursing seats every year” the official said. Healthcare experts, however, say there are not enough nurses. in the state.

Plea by AYUSH colleges for 5 x fees from mgmt quota students junked

Plea by AYUSH colleges for 5 x fees from mgmt quota students junked 

FRA Dubs Association’s Demand As Unjust, Improper & Contrary To Law

Yogita.Rao@timesofindia.com 03.12.2024 

Mumbai : The state’s Fee Regulatory Authority (FRA) rejected a demand made by the association of managements of AYUSH colleges to charge five times the regular fees from students admitted under the management quota, regardless of whether the student is an NRI or a non-NRI. The association’s demand was endorsed by the Maharashtra govt in a letter written to the authority in Sep, where it mentioned that it had no objection to allowing the institutes to charge higher fees. 

The FRA, however, mentioned that the claims made by the association, that they are unable to run the colleges from the income generated by the fees approved by the authority, are “unjust, improper and contrary to law”. In a detailed order, concluding that the association’s demand does not deserve any consideration, the FRA mentioned that the fees of each institute are based upon its income and expenditure, and the evidence produced in support of the provisions. “No institute can be permitted to indulge in the act of profiteering by allowing to charge exorbitant and excessive fees,” it stated. The proposal from the association came soon after the FRA decided to cap the caution money for AYUSH courses at Rs 25,000. The authority also mentioned that they came across several complaints from students about colleges allegedly demanding higher fees than the ones prescribed and approved by the FRA.

In their complaints, the students, who were allotted seats by the state’s CET cell, alleged that colleges demanded five times the regular fees at the time of admission. Some students even complained of colleges denying admissions for the same. “There appears to be some oblique  motive in raising such demand by some of the institutes to cover up their act of collecting fees more than the ones approved by the authority,” mentioned the FRA. 

Citing a 2018 order, the FRA mentioned that the association running AYUSH colleges cannot demand a different fee structure in comparison to institutions running other health science courses. The FRA said that the association did not produce any material to reconsider its earlier decision even in 2018, and therefore the request made by them cannot be entertained now. Additionally, it also pointed out that the process of approval of fee structures for 2024-25 commenced in Oct 2023 and the fees were already decided. Currently, the FRA allows colleges to charge three times the fees from students admitted under the management quota and five times from students who are admitted under NRI quota.

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.

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.

6 MBBS candidates submit fake NRI certs; cancelled now

6 MBBS candidates submit fake NRI certs; cancelled now

Pushpa.Narayan@timesofindia.com  23/11/2024

Chennai : Six MBBS-aspirants under Non-Resident Indian (NRI) quota category had forged the embassy certificates, and three of them managed to get seats allotted in self-financing colleges, said the state selection committee which handles medical admissions. The MBBS seats allotted to the three candidates have been cancelled, and now these will be included in the seat matrix during the special stray vacancy round scheduled for next week, the committee announced on Friday. It said the candidature of all six candidates was cancelled after ‘genuinity verification’. The committee sought verification of documents submitted by candidates to the respective embassies/consulates. At least four of them – Canada, Dubai, Riyadh, and Jeddah – replied stating that the certificates of six candidates were fake. Officials from the embassies also sought an action taken report from the govt. 

“We will be initiating legal action against the candidates. Their applications have been decl ared invalid,” a senior official said. Replies from a few other embassies/consulates are still awaited. Up to 15% of the seats in self-financing medical colleges and private medical universities are set aside for the NRI quota. These seats are reserved for students with NRI/OCI/PIO status. 

To apply under this category, students must provide documents that show their parents or relatives (one of the eight categories, such as sibling, grandparent, uncle, or aunt) are living abroad. “While processing applications before the first round of MBBS admission, more than 100 applications were made ineligible. This was because the ‘relatives’ were not as per the specification, or documents were insufficient,” the official said. The committee later emailed documents, including embassy certificates, to the respective embassies for verification. “We started the counselling because we have limited time. Three out of the six candidates were granted seats in two medical colleges,” he said. 

Two candidates were accepted into Madha Medical College and Research Institute in Chennai, while one was placed  in Karpagam Faculty of Medical Sciences and Research in Coimbatore. All these allotments have now been cancelled. These three seats will be added to the seat matrix for the special round of counselling, scheduled to begin on Nov 25. This will take the total seat tally for the special stray round to 60 – one seat in Stanley Medical College, six seats NRI/NRI lapsed seats in self-financing colleges, three NRI admissions that were cancelled, and 50 additional seats to Annaii Medical College and Hospital.

DME to act against six candidates who used fake documents for MBBS seats

DME to act against six candidates who used fake documents  for MBBS seats

The Hindu Bureau  CHENNAI 23.11.2024 

The Directorate of Medical Education is planning to initiate legal action against six candidates who applied for MBBS seats under the non-resident Indian quota using fake documents.

The medical selection committee, on its website, said three candidates had already been allotted seats. The allotment had since been cancelled. In a notification issued on Friday, it said the candidature of six applicants had been cancelled for submitting fake embassy certificates.

“Among the six candidates, three had got their MBBS allotment based on fake embassy certificates. The allotment of the three candidates is cancelled as per the rules in the prospectus, and these three seats will be added to the vacancies and included in the special round of counselling, which will start on November 25, 2024,” the notification said.

An official said it was routine for the DME to verify the documents submitted by the candidates with the embassies. The embassies responded saying the documents were not issued by them, a source said.

Devising a foolproof system to ensure credibility of NEET

Devising a foolproof system to ensure credibility of NEET 

Recommendations suggested by a seven-member committee to reform the exam have met with mixed reviews as experts weigh in on the options to check pilferage and other malpractices 

Rajlakshmi.Ghosh@timesofindia.com 19.11.2024 

Months after it was constituted, a high-level committee, headed by former ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan, has proposed major reforms to the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) in the wake of this year’s paper leaks and exam irregularities. Experts claim the reforms were much needed to bring back the credibility in the examination system while advocating the need for multistage examination process and restricting the number of attempts and exam centres. The seven-member panel that submitted its recommendations on November 1, suggested some key recommendations, which include implementing a hybrid examination model where question papers would be transmitted digitally while students can use OMR sheets for answers. 

This method while strengthening the security will ensure the release of exam questions closer to the start of the exams, thereby reducing the risk of unauthorised access. The committee further proposed adopting a multiple-stage format similar to JEE to manage the large volume of applicants, along with limiting the number of attempts to create a more equitable examination landscape. Presently, candidates are allowed to take the NEET UG exam an unlimited number of times. The proposed change is also expected to motivate candidates to prepare more competently for their attempts. 

Further, to make the examination’s security more foolproof, the panel recommended reducing dependency on outsourced services and private test centres. The panel recommended that NTA should instead incre ase its permanent staff and the number of exam centres under its direct control. Currently, exams are essentially conducted in government-run institutions, with private  centres used only when necessary. A key proposal from the panel involves the development of a ‘Digi Exam’ platform, which draws inspiration from the successful implementation of the Digi Yatra initiative at Indian airports. This platform is expected to leverage biometrics, including facial recognition technology, to facilitate secure candidate identification and authentication. By adopting this approach, the NTA can move towards a more effective and paperless process for registration, exam access, and remote testing. Going digital “The ecosystem should be developed in a phase-wise manner before implementing such measures as not all class XII students are tech-savvy or computer literate. 

These initiatives should ideally be started at the NEET PG level,” says a senior faculty member from a Delhi-NCR medical college, sug gesting further the need to set up high-speed electronic printers at the exam centres to digitally print the question papers and minimise manual intervention. The centres should be owned and manned by NTA’s own employees who are adequately trained to manage the exam process. Further, in a high-stakes exam like NEET UG, a two-stage process, as per the recommendations, will eliminate a large percentage of candidates at the prelims stage, leaving the more serious candidates to compete for the final exam. “This will help improve the quality of candidates enrolling for counselling and college admissions. Additionally, the ratio of the number of seats to students will be reduced. 

But multiple sessions for a single exam much like JEE does not give students a clear picture about the difficulty level of each session, nor are they convinced about the use of normalisation for calculating the scores which may invite controversy the way NEET PG 2024 did,” says the faculty. Highlighting some of the key outcomes of the hybrid mode of exams, Dr Amit Gupta, professor, De partment of Surgery, AIIMS Rishikesh, says, “It will check to some extent pilferage of question papers. At one go, the question papers will be displayed on screens throughout the country. Thereafter, students can write their answers on the OMR sheets if the exam is in pen and paper mode, and online if it is a Computer-Based Test (CBT). A uniform CBT format might be an issue in the remote and rural interiors due to uneven internet access, giving rise to technical glitches.” He further adds that the same hybrid format is used in the OSCE exam (Objective Structured Clinical Examination) by National Board of Examinations (NBE) to assess candidates’ clinical competencies and knowledge of medical procedures in postgraduate examination. 

“The hybrid mode would face some issues like technological failures, insider collusion, or inadequate monitoring of exam conditions, which might persist if not carefully managed. Digitally transmitting question papers should have strong encryption and secure channels,” cautions Dr B Unnikrishnan, dean, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education. Multistage exam Since the number of candidates appearing for NEET exam far outweigh the number of candidates in any other national-level entrance exam, it would be better to have a multistage exam process, such as a NEET Prelims and NEET Main/Advanced just like JEE, says Dr Gupta, adding it will make the job of NTA easier and eventually lead to the smooth conduct of the examination. 

Moreover, restricting the number of attempts will give all candidates a fair chance to crack the exam considering there is presently no bar on the number of attempts, Dr Gupta says. However, Dr Unnikrishnan reasons that limiting attempts might affect candidates from disadvantaged backgrounds. “Students who have access to better resources, coaching, and preparation might fare better, making it harder for those with fewer opportunities to compete effectively,” he say

Private medical colleges want to hike fee, move Madras HC

Private medical colleges want to hike fee, move Madras HC

The fee structure was maintained for 2020-21 by the panel chaired by by Justice K Venkataraman by taking into account the pandemic.

Express News Service

17 Nov 2024, 12:49 pm

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has ordered notice to the government and the Committee for Fixation of Fee for private self-financing colleges on a petition filed by the TN Self-Financing Medical Colleges Association seeking increase in the fee for MBBS for 2022-25 academic years by revoking an order passed by the committee in this regard.

A division bench of Justices D Krishnakumar and PB Balaji on Friday directed the respondent authorities to file counter-affidavit to the petition and adjourned the matter by two weeks.

The petition noted that the committee headed by Justice NV Balasubramanian fixed the fee for MBBS for 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20 as Rs 3.9 lakh for government quota, Rs 12.5 lakh for management quota and Rs 23.5 lakh for NRI quota by its order date June 6, 2017.

The fee structure was maintained for 2020-21 by the panel chaired by by Justice K Venkataraman by taking into account the pandemic. The association had sought the committee to revise the annual fee for UG and PG medical course for 2021-22 considering the increase in expenditure including salaries, delayed payment fees and other difficulties in running the institutions.

The committee fixed separate fee structures for government quota, management quota, NRI quota and NRI lapsed quota for 2022-23, which will be in force for three years, through proceedings dated October 15, 2022, it said. But, for the two state university private colleges, the fee fixed by the committee is higher than that of the self-financing medical colleges, it alleged.

The association said an average Rs 4.35 lakh has been fixed for government quota for self-financing colleges while Rs 5.4 lakh fixed for the same quota for the state university private colleges. There is disparity in other quotas too.

It sought the court to issue orders to quash the proceedings of the committee passed in 2022 and the consequential proceedings dated September 19, 2024 and direct the panel to fix fees afresh and allow self-financing colleges to collect fees on a par with state university private colleges.

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.

Medical colleges asked to submit details of students for new academic year

Medical colleges asked to submit details of students for new academic year

DurgeshNandan.Jha @timesofindia.com 1011.2024 AHAMEDABAD 

New Delhi : Aiming to rule out any irregularities in MBBS admissions, National Medical Commission (NMC) has directed all medical colleges to verify and submit details of all students enrolled for the academic year 2024-25. This includes admitted students’ entrance exam (NEET) roll number, marks obtained in 10+2 (physics, chemistry, biology), merit number, date of birth, subcategory (SC/ST/unreserved), and fees charged from them annually among others. 

Officials said this was done to ensure that all MBBS admissions are strictly in accordance with merit and not above the sanctioned intake capacity. “Earlier, the last date for submission of details was Nov 8 but many colleges have not filled or partially filled the required information. Thus, we have given a final deadline of Nov 23 to colleges to provide required information,” B Srinivas, secretary, NMC told TOI. Last year, NMC carried out an informal exercise to double-check that MBBS admissions made by colleges were in accordance with the regulations. 

It was found that there were instances, at least 30-40 of them, where the admission was inconsistent with the rules. For example, sources said, students who obtained less than 50% marks in 10+2 (physics, chemistry, biology) were granted admission. The NMC secretary said they have, for the first time, developed an online monitoring system to ensure faithful adherence to norms of admission and to further promote transparency and accountability in medical education. There are approximately 1.20 lakh undergraduate medical seats across govt and private medical colleges in the country. 

Times of India ePaper ahmedabad - Read Today’s English News Paper Online https://epaper.indiatimes.com/timesepaper/publication-the-times-of-india,city-ahmedabad.cms 1/2 11/10/24, 12:01 PM Times of India ePaper ahmedabad - 

One held with fake NEET scorecard

One held with fake NEET scorecard 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 31.10.2024 

Chennai : A Class XII student and his unsuspecting parents found themselves in hot water after presenting a forged NEET scorecard that boasted of an impressive 698 marks out of 720. The student’s actual score was only 129. Their visit to the Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University office on Tuesday was meant to secure admission to Madras Medical College (MMC), but it quickly turned into an inquiry at Kilpauk police station. 

According to police, the student had scored 129 in this year's test. Frustrated by his low scores, he devised a plan to create fake marksheets. He sought help from two of his friends and crafted a scorecard that inflated his marks to 698 out of 720. Police said the parents were unaware of their son's scheme. Armed with the fraudulent scorecard, the student and his parents approached the university office to inquire about his admission status. University officials scrutinized the document and discovered it was forged. They alerted police. Acting on a complaint filed by Dr Karamath, deputy director of medical education (DDME), Kilpauk police registered a case and arrested the aspiring medical student. A hunt is now underway for his two aides, one of whom is employed at a photocopy centre in Adya

No deadline extension leads to loss of 50 MBBS seats

No deadline extension leads to loss of 50 MBBS seats 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  30.10.2024 

Chennai : Union govt has refused to extend the deadline for admission to MBBS/BDS courses for 2024 and the state selection committee said it would not admit students to the 50 additional MBBS seats at Annaii Medical College and Research Institute this academic year. Additionally, results for the stray (final) round of counselling will be released a day late on Wednesday following a request from several parents. Last week, the state selection committee wrote to the Centre seeking permission to extend the deadline for medical and dental counselling. Health minister Ma Subramanian said the addition of fresh seats in the stray round is not possible as students don’t have the option to upgrade seats in this round. Adding fresh seats without giving the option of upgrade would defeat the purpose of merit, he said. When the committee permits upgradation, it will create vacancies in other colleges too. “So, to fill seats, we need a special round. It can’t be done in the stray vacancy round, where students are debarred if they don’t take the seat they are allotted,” he said.

On Oct 23, Annaii Medical College and Research Institute announced that it received permission to admit 50 more students, taking its seat tally to 100. The stray round, which began the next day, had 296 vacant seats in medical and dental colleges. This includes one MBBS seat and 23 BDS seats in govt colleges, 67 seats in self-financing medical colleges and 61 MBBS seats in private medical universities, besides four BDS seats under the 7.5% quota for govt students and 136 seats in self-financing dental colleges. 

Results Delayed The results for the stray vacancies will be announced on Wednesday instead of Tuesday, officials said. The selection committee said that eligible candidates must pay an additional security deposit of ₹5 lakh for the MBBS course and ₹2 lakh for the BDS course to take part in the stray round or subsequent round (if any). The amount will not be refunded if the candidate does not  join the courses after allotment. In addition to the security deposit, the candidates must pay the tuition fee and discontinuation fee if they do not join courses after allotment and will be barred from counselling for 2025. “Most parents wanted an extension of the deadline by a day as banks were closed on Saturday and Sunday,” said a senior official at the committee. “Instead of releasing the results on Tuesday, it will be released on Wednesday,” officials said

Tamil Nadu seeks extension for MBBS counselling

Tamil Nadu seeks extension for MBBS counselling 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  26.10.2024

Chennai : State selection committee has written to NMC asking for permission to extend the deadline for medical and dental counselling, health minister Ma Subramanian said. The state will be able to conduct counselling for 50 additional seats granted to a self-financing medical college only if counselling is extended. On Thursday, Annaii Medical College and Research Institute said it received permission to admit 50 more students, taking its seat tally to 100. “We are in the stray round now. We must complete counselling by Oct 29 by filling 296 vacant seats in medical and dental colleges. This includes one MBBS seat and 23 BDS seats in govt colleges,” he said. Besides this, there were 67 seats in self-financing medical colleges and 61 seats in private medic al universities. There are four vacant BDS seats under the 7.5% quota for govt students and 136 seats in self-financing dental colleges. If the committee adds the newly approved MBBS seats, then it must allow students who took seats in the previous rounds, including students who took BDS seats, a chance to upgrade their choice. 

“If that happens, there will be more vacanci- es. We won’t have the time,” said a senior official. While students who have not been allotted any seats can register for the stray round, the committee will permit students admitted to various colleges to upgrade if the NMC gives the extension, officials said. Students who register for the stray round m ust pay up to ₹5 lakh as a security deposit to avoid vacancies.

TN urges Centr e to permit PG courses in Ayurv eda  Chennai : The state has urged Centre to permit govt Ayurveda colleges in Tamil Nadu to start postgraduate courses in Ayurveda, health minister Ma Subramanian said here on Monday. Students who want to study postgraduate courses in Ayurveda are forced to travel outside Tamil Nadu as there are no courses here, he said after inaugurating the International Ayurveda Conference at TN Dr MGR Medical University. The state has urged the centre to grant permission for two postgraduate courses with five seats each. "We have sought a meeting with the Union Health Minister and Ayush Minister next week," he said.

‘TN to act against med colleges over high fees’ Health Min Tells Panel To Look Into Complaints

‘TN to act against med colleges over high fees’ Health Min Tells Panel To Look Into Complaints 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  10.10.2024

Chennai : The Tamil Nadu govt would recommend action against medical colleges for charging excessive fees, health minister Ma Subramanian said Wednesday. The selection committee had received two complaints from parents about colleges that demanded “prohibitively high fees”, he said. These complaints would be sent to the fee committee for further action, he said. In July, the committee on the fixation of fees for self-financing professional colleges, headed by Justice R Pongiappan, recommended no increase in tuition fees for MBBS and BDS courses. The committee fixed up to ₹4.50 lakh towards tuition and special fees for students joining through the govt quota in selffinancing colleges, ₹13.5 lakh for students joining through the management quota and ₹24.5 lakh for the NRI quota. 

For private medical universities, the fee is higher. “Colleges asked for a fee increase this year, but the committee declined. The prescribed fee does not include hostel, mess and transportation charges. Colleges can charge separately for this,” Subramanian said. However, colleges could not make a killing out of this, he said. “If the charges are unreasonable, parents can file complaints along with the required evidence and documents. We will urge the committee to initiate action against the colleges,” he said. 

Health secretary, two former state university VCs, DME and a CA are members of the committee. Parents and student counsellors say this may have no effect. “Last year, more than 20 complaints were filed before the committee. We have not heard of any action,” said student counsellor Manickavel Arumugam. “If the state is serious, it must ask colleges to declare the fee in the prospectus and on the webpages. This will allow parents and students to make informed choices during the admission process,” he said.  Most parents agreed. “We expected an additional fee of may be ₹1-₹2 lakh. We were surprised when it was almost equal to the tuition fee,” said a parent whose child was allotted a seat in a medical college in Namakkal. “We paid a prescribed fee of ₹4.5 lakh and an additional ₹4 lakh. They insisted that it should be in cash and haven’t given us any receipt. We paid because we did not want to lose the seat,” he said. Another college in Chennai, which started admissions this year, charged parents ₹3.50 lakh as an additional fee.

19 govt school students get MBBS seats in the state

19 govt school students get MBBS seats in the state 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  03.10.2024 

Chennai : At least 19 govt school students, in addition to 680 candidates under the 7.5% quota meant for them, secured MBBS seats in Tamil Nadu in 2023, state directorate of medical education said. Officials said there were 8,316 medical seats available under the state quota in 2023, of which 683 MBBS and BDS seats were allotted to govt school students under the 7.5% quota. Besides these, 78 students from govt schools secured admission in various medical colleges, including govt quota seats in selffinancing colleges, a senior official said. “Of the 78 students, four of them got it under the disability quota, nine students secured admissions in govt medical colleges, and six of them secured MBBS seats in self-financing medical colle ges. The remaining 59 got admission to BDS seats. One among them was allotted a seat in a govt college,” the official said.

 Experts noted that the performance of govt school students has improved over the last four years. When NEET came into force, the number of govt school students entering medical college dropped to less than 10. The cut-off for medical admissions has been increasing under all categories, making admissions challenging each year. The number of repeaters securing seats under these quotas is also very high. In 2024, almost all the top 10 candidates in the 7.5% quota were repeaters, and the average number of repeaters ingovt school quota is nearly 80%. Data also showed that students from state board syllabus fared almost at par with CBSE students. For in stance, 4,140 students who secured seats were from CBSE, 4,030 students were from the state board, and 39 others were from other boards. However, the directorate warns that not all information it has is verified.

 “We had sought information from students on whether they attended NEET coaching in private tutorials. We wanted this information for policy matters. Many students told us they haven’t attended, and we are unable to verify this,” the official said.  In 2023, 3,248 candidates who secured admissions said they did not attend NEET coaching, while 3,248 students said they attended coaching. “While we can verify the school, board, or if they are repeaters, there is no registry to check if they took private coaching. It is selfdeclared information,” he added.

HC orders DME to pay ₹5L to ST candidate for admission error

HC orders DME to pay ₹5L to ST candidate for admission error

K.Kaushik@timesofindia.com

 Madurai : The Madras High Court imposed a ₹5 lakh fine on the Director of Medical Education (DME) for denying a medical seat to V P Arunagiri's daughter, despite her eligibility. The petitioner, a member of the Scheduled Tribe (ST) community, filed the case in 2018 after his daughter was unfairly left out during NEET 2017 counselling. Arunagiri's daughter scored 136 in NEET and ranked 43rd for 46 ST-reserved seats. However, three seats were allocated to students from other communities, leaving her without a spot. She was later offered a BDS seat, but it was from a self-financing institution, not a government college, which caused her to discontinue her studies. Arunagiri argued that had he been informed correctly, he would have made a better choice during counselling. 

Justice C Saravanan noted that the al location of seats based on national rankings in NEET disadvantages students domiciled in the state, creating a scarcity of local seats. The court held that the DME’s failure to file a counter affidavit admitted its error in the seat allocation. Though the full compensation was not granted, the court fined the DME for distress caused and allowed Arunagiri to pursue further compensation for the mental agony suffered by his daughter.

NMC withdraws nod for private med college, TN loses 100 seats

NMC withdraws nod for private med college, TN loses 100 seats

The selection committee of the Directorate of Medical Education is attempting to find ways to accommodate them in other colleges.

Express News Service

CHENNAI: The last-minute notice by the National Medical Commission (NMC) about the withdrawal of permission to 100 MBBS seats in the new Kanniyakumari Madras Medical Mission Research Centre has put the state government in a fix. Under the 7.5% reservation category, five government school students have already taken up admission in said college. The selection committee of the Directorate of Medical Education is attempting to find ways to accommodate them in other colleges.

The NMC withdrew the permission following a writ petition filed before the New Delhi High Court against the college and its trust, alleging that the land on which the building is constructed is disputed. Further, it put on hold, the letter of permission to the college dated July 4.

The NMC told the selection committee to ensure that students are not admitted to the college during the ongoing counselling until further communication. The 100 seats in the college comprise 60 government quota seats, 30 management and five under the 7.5% quota.

The selection committee said that since the counselling is being conducted online, students in the general category will be offered seats in other colleges. As per the committee’s revised seat matrix, there are 6,630 MBBS government seats and 1,683 BDS seats in the state. Under the 7.5% quota, 496 MBBS seats and 126 BDS seats are available.

State selection committee applies for more medical seats

State selection committee applies for more medical seats 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 23.08.2024 

Chennai : The Tamil Nadu selection committee has sent proposals to National Medical Commission, the apex body regulating medical education in the country, seeking permission to increase MBBS seats in at least eight govt-run medical colleges that have 100 seats each. The state has proposed to add at least 50 seats each in these colleges. If NMC permits, the state will get 400 more MBBS seats in govt colleges in 2025.

At least a dozen of the 36 govt medical colleges in the state have 100 undergraduate medical seats each. “We have asked for more seats in eight medical colleges. If they are approved, we can start admissions with an improved seat matrix from 2025,” said health minister Ma Subramanian.

Competition is making it increasingly tougher for students to get into medical colleges as cutoffs go up every year. So, more seats will ease the situation for students. Some of the govt colleges, such as Chengalpet Medical College, are nearly 60 years old, said director of medical education Dr J Sangumani. “We have the infrastructure, including hospital beds, patients, and teaching staff (to add more seats),” he said. 

Most new medical colleges have 150 seats, but at least a dozen old colleges are stuckwith just 100 seats for several years now, he said. Apart from this, the state has sought funding from Centre to start new medical colleges in six districts. “We wanted to start new medical colleges under a centrally sponsored scheme in which 60% of funds come from Union govt,” Subramanian said. The state has a policy to establish one new medical college in every district. These will provide specialty care to patients in rural areas, the minister said.

TN TO WEITE TO CENTRE ON MBBS SEATS