The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Confusion persists over medical seats

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 02, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Confusion persists over medical seats

By Our Staff Reporter

Photo: V. Ganesan

Applicants forming a queue to get medical admission forms at the Kilpauk Medical College in Chennai on Tuesday.

CHENNAI, JUNE 1. The issue of applications for admission to medical and para-medical courses began all over the State today. Students and parents getting ready for counselling remain confused about the actual number of seats available under different quotas.

The seat matrix is of crucial importance to students, especially to decide whether or not to write a common entrance test to be conducted by an association of unaided medical and para-medical colleges for filling the `management quota' seats.

According to an August 2003 Supreme Court order, admissions to the management quota can be done through a common entrance test (CET) conducted by either a State/university or by "an association of colleges of a particular type in the State."

Applicants forming a queue to get medical admission forms at the Kilpauk Medical College in Chennai on Tuesday.

Three associations representing medical and para-medical colleges (including those offering courses in the Indian system of medicine) in Tamil Nadu have so far staked claim to conduct the CET.

However, the S.S. Subramani Committee (constituted as per the Supreme Court's judgment to oversee the conduct of a CET by the association) has made it clear that it will allow only one test by one association. The next hearing is slated for June 8 when the committee will decide on the date and mode of conducting the CET.

Tamil Nadu has 11 government and three self-financing medical colleges, offering 1,429 seats. This number is likely to increase by 40 seats in the Coimbatore Government Medical College, pending approval by the Medical Council of India. The Government has also sought the MCI's final clearance for a new medical college in Kanyakumari with a strength of 100 seats. The MCI inspection was completed last month, but it remains to be seen whether the college will come into being in the current year.

The final matrix will be known only at the time of counselling, according to Health department officials.

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