VIJAYAWADA: NTR University of Health Sciences (NTR-UHS) stopped PG medical counselling midway amidst slogan shouting and protest by qualified candidates on the first day on Monday. Only 24 seats were filled as against 150 that the university had proposed to fill on the first day.

The UHS officials announced around 3.30 p.m. that counselling was closed for the day as an ST in-service candidate did not turn up for the counselling.

As soon as the news reached the candidates waiting in the hall, several of them rushed inside and picked up an argument with Registrar P. Jayakar Babu. They demanded that the counselling be continued and the candidates not be put to inconvenience for no fault of theirs.

Vice-Chancellor R. Sambasiva Rao said that counselling had to be stopped for some unavoidable reason and appealed to the candidates to cooperate with the authorities.

The university had called ST in-service candidates up to the rank of 800 on the first day. No candidate had secured a rank below 800.

The ST candidate, who secured 910th rank, did not turn up for the counselling, as there was no intimation from the university.

The counselling would be resumed at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, when the ST candidate would come to seek admission.

Members of AP PG Aspirants' Association (AP-PGAA) raised slogans against the university officials for not conducting the counselling in a transparent and foolproof manner.

They burnt an effigy of Registrar Jayakara Babu in front of the university on Ring Road. They said it was a negligent act on the part of the university officials, who `did not take care' to call the required number of ST candidates for the counselling.

PGAA president K. Aswin said that the negligence by the university officials led to many problems during last year's counselling also. Last year, 180 PG medical seats remained unfulfilled. "It is because of the indifferent attitude of the officials. They are repeating it this year also," Dr. Aswin said.

He demanded that the Government dismiss the officials who were responsible for the disruption in the counselling process.

Earlier, members of PGAA took objection to the fact that the university had given nine grace marks to all candidates who appeared for PG medical entrance test this year. The addition of grace marks led to more service candidates getting qualified for PG admissions. Dr. Aswin said that this would affect the interests of non-service candidates.

The Vice-Chancellor said that four marks were added to all candidates, as an equal number of questions were found printed wrong. Five more grace marks were given to all candidates following representations that this year's test was tough. "The addition of marks is common to all candidates. Their ranks are not changed. This will help fill all the seats," Dr. Sambasiva Rao said.

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