Several students set to lose MBBS/BDS seats

GUWAHATI, Aug 28: With several successful candidates likely to lose their MBBS/BDS seats in Assam for the current academic session following the latest ruling by Gauhati High Court rejecting the admission rules for medical colleges, 2017, a rattled State Health Department is now planning to approach the High Court with a plea to reconsider the ruling on humanitarian ground.

“The honorable Gauhati High Court gave its ruling on Friday. But prior to its ruling, the Directorate of Medical Education had conducted and completed counseling for this year’s admission into MBBS/BDS courses in the State’s medical colleges. The list of successful candidates has already been shortlisted. The High Court’s order has, however, put us in a fix as several students are set to lose their seats in case we abide by the court’s ruling. Losing medical seats will be a very sensitive issue and there might be negative repercussion among the affected students. Under such circumstances, we will approach the High Court to reconsider its ruling on humanitarian ground,” a source in the Health Department told The Sentinel on Monday. 

Rejecting the admission rules, 2017 which saw reservation of seats for OBC non-creamy candidates raised from 15 per cent to 26.4 per cent, the High Court has asked the medical colleges to adhere to the 2015 admission rules, under which 15 per cent MBBS/BDS seats are reserved for OBC candidates. The High Court directed medical colleges to cancel counseling for admission done earlier on the basis of 2017 rules, conduct fresh counseling and complete admission process by August 31.      

The High Court has further asked Dispur to abide by the 2015 admission rules for MBBS and BDS courses this year as it was in force during the CBSE notification of January 30, 2017, to conduct NEET (tiol Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test) to select candidates for admission into MBBS/BDS courses across the country. The 2017 rules were notified only on July 11, 2017. NEET was held in May this year.

Sources said since the OBC quota went up from 15 per cent to 26.4 per cent (from 88 to 159 seats) under the 2017 rules, several students are set to lose their seats in view of the High Court’s ruling rejecting the new rules. Two rounds of counseling, an exercise which helps successful candidates choose their colleges, have already been conducted by the Directorate of Medical Education. There are 726 medical seats in 6 medical colleges and one regiol dental college in the State.

Even though the Directorate of Medical Education on Monday conducted fresh counseling of candidates as per the High Court’s ruling, the counseling could not be held after a section of parents and students disrupted the exercise, expressing anguish and uncertainty over the entire admission process.