Central counseling for medical admissions: concerns that regional reservation will be lost

• A letter will be sent to the Center seeking clarification

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The decision was taken in a meeting called by the Health Minister to seek clarification from the Central Government on making admissions in medical undergraduate and postgraduate courses through central common admission counseling. The Director of Medical Education and the Entrance Commissioner will study the merits and demerits of central allotment and submit a report to the government. The Health Secretary will write to the Center seeking clarification on these matters.

There is a concern that with the Center taking over MBBS, MD, MS, and Diploma admissions in the state, which are conducted on state quota, the existing regional reservation will disappear and there will be no mechanism for redressal of students' grievances. At present, allotment complaints are redressed by the Entrance Commissionerate, Thiruvananthapuram. With central allotment coming, the complaints will have to be filed in Delhi. The state will raise demands including the need for a local system for grievance redressal.

At present admission is done by the Admission Commissioner in 85% of MBBS and 50% of PG courses. In self-help colleges, the allotment is done by the Entrance Commissioner for all the seats including the NRI quota. Out of the 15% all-India quota seats for MBBS, the central decision is to make admissions to all seats on the pattern of allotment by the Medical Counseling Committee. Although the Center has given a letter to the state that admissions will be conducted through single counseling for the whole country, it has not informed when it will start.

Concerns about the loss of regional reservations have been conveyed to the government, including the Entrance Commissioner. The Centre, which has asked to inform the reservation criteria followed in the state, has also suggested that an officer with knowledge in this regard be made the nodal officer. Admission through single counseling across the country is to simplify the admission process. The state cannot object to the fact that the center has taken a policy decision. Meanwhile, if the Tamil Nadu government files a case against the Centre's takeover of the entry, Kerala will also explore the possibility of joining it.