CELEBRATION TIME: Health Minister N. Thalavai Sundaram distributes sweets to the top rankers A. Mahesh, G.R. Divyambigai and S.J. Divyalakshmi at the Directorate of Medical Education in Chennai on Wednesday. Health Secretary Sheela Rani Chunkath (lef t) and Director of Medical Education P. Vijayalakshmi (right) look on. — Photo: Vino John

CHENNAI: Students who came to the Directorate of Medical Education at Kilpauk for medical counselling and allotment of seats were pleased when health officials announced that 100 seats had been allotted to the Government-run Tuticorin Medical College. Tuticorin Medical College will admit 100 students this year. Of the 1,545 medical seats in 13 colleges the State, 173 seats have been given to the all-India quota.

On Tuesday, counselling was held for 40 seats in the special category reserved for the handicapped, children of freedom fighters and ex-servicemen. Students seeking admission under the category must produce relevant certificates to ensure they are not rejected during counselling.

Health Minister N. Thalavai Sundaram, who handed over admission tickets to the students who had scored the first three ranks, said: "The Government is very transparent. If parents or students have doubts about the admission procedure they can seek explanation from officials."

The first three candidates, who scored 300 marks, will study at the Madras Medical College (MMC). The students, G.R. Divyambigai (Erode) and S.J. Divyalakshmi (Pollachi) belong to BC (backward class) category while A. Mahesh, son of H. Ananthanarayanan, a bank employee from Sivaganga, was the first student under the OC (open competition) category to enter the MMC this year.

A. Mahesh and his family were worried that he would be allotted Madurai Medical College because of the confusion over the CET order. His mother said: "For two months we were tense. He was ranked 123 in the finals score and there were so many with centum in all four subjects. He wanted to study in the MMC. With his rank he would have been given Madurai College. Now we are happy for him."

Mr. Sundaram said admission to undergraduate courses in nursing, pharmacy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy would be taken up after completion of medical college admissions.

Counselling and seat allotment for students under the general rank category (1 to 430) were held on Wednesday. Counselling and admission under the BC, MBC, SC and ST category will be held on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Beneficiaries under the 50 per cent rule of reservation will attend counselling on Saturday afternoon.

On Sunday, counselling will be open to all communities for admission to self-financing institutions and seats in the Tamil Nadu Government Dental College.

At the Anna University, around 170 students turned up for the first round of counselling for 45 seats in engineering and medicine under the sports quota. Out of the 45 seats, 42 are for engineering and three are for medicine. All three medical seats were filled up on the first day itself.

The counselling for the engineering seats would continue for two more days, University officials said.

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