CMC Vellore not included in Government counselling for medical seats under general category
2018-07-05Top candidates who aspired for seats in Christian Medical College, Vellore, were disappointed as the Government counselling for medical seats under general category on Monday began without including the college.
Neither Health department officials nor Minister C. Vijaya Baskar, who distributed the allotment letters to the top 10 candidates, had an explanation for the omission.
Dr. Vijaya Baskar said he was pleased that all 10 the students had chosen Madras Medical College, while at least three students openly expressed interest in joining CMC.
Later, when the candidates were asked if they would surrender the MMC seats in favour of management seats at CMC, they said they were unsure.
Since the Supreme Court struck down CMC’s plea and refused to allow the college follow its own selection process, instead of NEET, the college was included for counselling under the single-window process.
According to the Directorate of Medical Education handbook on Right to Information Act - 2005, “Minority Colleges have to share 50% of the seats with the Government for allotment of candidates under the single window system.”
But Health Department officials have not included 50% of the seats in CMC under government pool. The officials said the college would feature in the counselling for management quota seats.
CMC sources maintained they had not received any communication from the government about surrender of seats to the State pool.
The sources also pointed out that the candidates who aspired to join the college, however, ranked lower in the management quota merit list.
The Selection Committee had released a separate list of 92 candidates, which the Minister said, had been in compliance with a court directive. These candidates’ name had been withheld as their nativity claims had to be verified. Any candidate who wishes to apply for MBBS, BDS must be a native of the State.
(as reported in The Hindu)