96 per cent nursing seats remain vacant, BFUHS mulls 2nd entrance test in Punjab
In the entrance test conducted by the BFUHS, only 344 candidates could score 50% marks, leaving 7,481 seats (96 per cent) in Punjab’s government and private nursing colleges vacant
Faridkot After 97% of nursing courses seats remain vacant in the first round of counselling for want of enough qualified candidates, the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS), Faridkot, has sought permission from the department of medical education and research to conduct another entrance test.
During the first round of the counselling last week, BFUHS allotted nursing seats to 244 candidates while 7,481 seats remained vacant in government and private nursing colleges of the state. There are 7,825 BSc nursing and BSc (post-basic) nursing seats in the 103 colleges of the state.
In the state, 103 nursing colleges offer 4,970 B.Sc nursing seats, while 88 nursing colleges offer 2,855 B.Sc (post-basic) nursing seats. During the first round of counselling, 89 nursing colleges failed to fill even a single B.Sc nursing seat. Similarly, not a single candidate was found eligible for B.Sc (post-basic) seats in 54 colleges. A total of 190 B.Sc nursing seats were allotted to the eligible candidates in 14 nursing colleges, while 154 B.Sc (post-basic) seats were filled in 34 nursing colleges.
In August, BFUHS conducted the entrance tests and 50 marks was the eligibility for admission to B.Sc nursing course and 30 for B.Sc (post-basic) nursing. Only 240 out of 2,596 could score more than 50 marks, while 154 out of 380 candidates scored 30 or more.
Dr Raj Bahadur, vice-chancellor BFUHS, said, “We have written to the principal secretary of medical education and research, seeking permission to conduct one more entrance test to give another chance to the students as a large number of seats are vacant.”
Official sources said the BFUHS may go for an easier question paper in the entrance test to fill the nursing seats. In the recent years, there has been continuous decline in number of candidates interested in pursuing nursing courses, badly affecting the private colleges offering the courses.
Box
Nursing admissions
Seats filled Total Vacant
BSc Nursing 190 4,970 4,780 (97%)
BSc (post-basic) Nursing 154 2,855 2,701 (95%)
Total 344 7,825 7,481 (96%)