The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Performance of reserved classes alter MBBS seat configuration

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jul 23, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Performance of reserved classes alter MBBS seat configuration

K. Ramachandran

BC students grab 700 seats in 13 medical colleges BC students grab 700 seats in 13 medical colleges Initially, students, parents and some academicians too were puzzled after counselling ended on the first day.

MBBS admissions highlight abilities of reserved classes On first day, 133 BC, 50 MBC and 12 SC students took Open competition seats Last year 662 BC students got into MBBS

CHENNAI: : The increasing academic abilities of the reserved classes, especially those from the Backward Class category, have come to the fore in the admission to the MBBS courses in the 13 government medical colleges.

In fact, their performance has altered the seat configuration.

In Tamil Nadu, the BCs get 30 per cent (330 seats or so out of 1,327 available for single window admission). But when counselling ended on July 22, when all seats in the OC and BC categories were allotted, the number of BC candidates who got admission was 703. Last year, 662 students entered MBBS in the first two days of counselling.

Initially, students, parents and some academicians too were puzzled after counselling ended on the first day. The number of vacancies shown in different colleges under the BC and MBC categories were different from the one shown when the counselling began. In some colleges, the number of seats went up, and in some others, it decreased for the reserved categories.

For example, in the Tirunelveli Medical College, the original configuration for the reserved classes was BC-38; MBC- 26; SC-24; and ST- 2. But when the counselling ended on the first day, the vacancy position was BC-53; MBC-38; SC-26; and ST-2.

However, no BC or MBC seats were available in the Madras Medical College at the end of the first day of counselling when only the open competition category was filled.

Similarly, there were no BC seats left in the Stanley and Kilpauk Medical Colleges. In the Coimbatore Medical College too, the number of BC and MBC seats went down.

Reservation for course

However, authorities at the Medical Education Directorate said it was natural for some sections to raise this doubt. A senior official said the overall reservation was only for the MBBS programme, and not for the colleges.

The entire seat matrix is taken as one unit, and the reservation seats are carved out of it; it is not done college-wise. First, all OC seats are filled and, regardless of the category, students come rank-wise and take the seats in different colleges. But once the OC seats are over, the students can take a seat in their reserved category, if eligible. So, an OC seat in one of the colleges opened recently is reduced and added to the BC or MBC category, as per the category of candidates in the established colleges. This ensures that a student with higher rank can seek admission in an established college and rated higher by students.

This led to 234 seats filled in the OC category, and 195 in the reserved categories on the first day, of the 429 seats allotted on the first day.

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