Other States - Orissa   

Medical counselling hits a roadblock

BHUBANESWAR: The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) authorities on Saturday postponed the counselling for admission into private medical colleges for an indefinite period due to absence of government approval letter. The counselling was scheduled to begin from Sunday while all preparations were at the last leg. Even several students along with their parents had arrived in the city from outside the State to participate in the counselling.” We have postponed the counselling as we did not receive any communication from the government side. Whenever the approval letter will reach us, we will plan the process of counselling afresh,” JEE Chairman R. R. Das told The Hindu here on Saturday.

There are about 300 medical seats available in the three medical colleges such as HiTech Medical College, Kalinga Institute of Medical Science (KIMS), Institute of Medical Science (IMS). According to Private Medical and Dental Colleges Association (PMDCA) President Tirupati Panigrahi, “there is absolutely no confusion. Medical Council of India (MCI) has already conducted its survey and submitted the recommendations to the Health Ministry at the Centre. However, the ministry is yet to stamp its approval. “He said since most of the private medical colleges of Orissa were at their initial years these institutions needed yearly inspections by MCI. “We had earlier informed the JEE authorities about possibility of the delay. But they went ahead with the counselling process,” Mr. Panigrahi said.

However, it was not yet clear as to when did these private medical colleges informed the JEE authorities. Whatever the matter the news of postponement of counselling triggered a despair among students who came from far away places to attend the medical counselling.

A parent who came all the way from Mumbai for the counselling said,” private medical colleges as well as the JEE authorities were aware of the situation.

Yet they did not give us a clear picture. I made several frantic calls to them.

The only answer I got was that the counselling would go as per the schedule.”

He went on describing his agony as to how he managed a train ticket and arranged his stay in the city. “I cannot imagine how I will prepare myself to come to the counselling centre here when the next date would be announced. “JEE Chairman said the medical counselling dates would have to be adjusted in the schedule of engineering counselling as according to guidelines admissions into the medical colleges should have to be over by September 30.

Sources said even in the event of JEE authorities receiving the approval letter the next day they would require at least 15 days to start the medical counselling afresh.

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