Confusion over NRI quota seats leaves aspirants jittery

Tuesday, 25/06/2013

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130625/punjab.htm#17

Faridkot : The prevailing confusion over filling the NRI quota seats in the medical (MBBS), dental (BDS) and post-graduation medical courses (MD, MDS and MS) in various private and government colleges in Punjab has left the aspirants in jitters.

Each year, over 100 Indian and overseas students take admission under the NRI quota.

But due to confusion this time, the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS) could fill only two of the total 20 NRI seats for MD, MDS, and MS courses in Punjab during the last two days.

The confusion was caused after contradictory notifications made by the Medical Council of India (MCI), the Dental Council of India (DCI) and the Punjab Government.

In the notification at the time of holding the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for under-graduate (MBBS, BDS) and post-graduate (MD, MS, MDS) courses, the MCI and the DCI did not clearly mention that the test was also compulsory for NRI quota seats. So many aspiring NRI medics did not appear in the NEET.

But in its notification on June 5, the Punjab Government declared that only those candidates, who have qualified the NEET-2013, shall be eligible to apply for all seats, including NRI quota seats.

The late notification of the Punjab Government disqualified hundreds of aspirants for NRI seats, who did not appear in the NEET.

BFUHS Vice-chancellor Dr SS Gill said admissions to medical courses in all the categories shall be based solely on the marks obtained in the NEET as per the instructions of the state government.

The university will issue the eligibility certificate to only those who have obtained the qualifying marks in the NEET, said Dr Gill.

While several aspiring NRI medics criticised the MCI and the DCI for the ambiguity in the notification for the NRI quota seats, they termed the notification of the Punjab Government as discriminatory to NRI students as it was announced late, months after the NEET was conducted.

Fifteen per cent of the total seats in private medical and dental colleges are reserved under the NRI quota.

How confusion was caused
Contradictory notifications were made by the Medical Council of India (MCI), the Dental Council of India (DCI) and the Punjab Government.

In the notification at the time of holding the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for under-graduate (MBBS, BDS) and post-graduate (MD, MS, MDS) courses, the MCI and the DCI did not clearly mention that the test was also compulsory for NRI quota seats. So many aspiring NRI medics did not appear in the NEET.

But in its notification on June 5, the Punjab Government declared that only those candidates, who have qualified the NEET-2013, will be eligible to apply for all seats, including NRI quota seats. Each year over 100 Indians and overseas students take admission under the NRI quota