Parents urge CET cell to allow students in upcoming MBBS admission round

CET officials said any such relaxation is not possible, according to the existing admission guidelines

MUMBAI: Parents of medical aspirants have appealed to the state common entrance test (CET) cell to allow students already admitted to BDS courses to participate in the upcoming stray vacancy round for MBBS admissions. They argue that the recent addition of 100 new MBBS seats in two medical colleges, including 50 at the well-established Ashwini Rural Medical College, Solapur, has created an unfair situation for students who had earlier accepted BDS or lower-ranked MBBS colleges in previous rounds.

Mumbai medical Admission. Representative photo.

According to the existing rule, students who have secured admission up to Round 3 in MBBS or BDS courses are not eligible to participate in Round 4, the stray vacancy round. However, parents urge for reconsideration of the rule this year because the new seats were approved late and not included during earlier rounds of admission.

In their emails to the CET Cell, parents have described the situation as a “gross injustice” to meritorious students. One email stated, “The additional 100 new seats added to the stray round have deprived students who had already joined MBBS or BDS courses till Round 3. This is unfair to those who might have preferred these newly added seats, especially when an established college like Ashwini Rural Medical College has received 50 more seats.”

Parents are urging the CET Cell to allow all students to upgrade their admissions in the final round, particularly for those colleges to which seats have been added after Round 3. “It is a matter of natural justice that the CET Cell acts fairly and does not wait for students to approach the court. Many students with better ranks have had to settle for lower colleges or BDS seats, while those with lower ranks now have access to better options. This is not right,” said one parent from Mumbai.

Another parent added, “We understand that the Supreme Court has ruled that no upgrades should be allowed after Round 3. But if the authorities could make an exception for one student from Sindhudurg Medical College after Round 3, the same sympathetic approach should be shown to other deserving students as well.”

The parents have also proposed a practical solution. They have requested the CET Cell to allow already admitted students to opt for only two preferred colleges in the stray vacancy round. They believe this limited option would ensure transparency and fairness while maintaining order in the admission process.

Parent activist Sudha Shenoy said, “The NMC approved 100 new seats in two private medical colleges before the third round, but the CET Cell did not allot seats to them due to internal approval. Now that these seats are being included in the fourth round, students who have already taken BDS admissions should be allowed to upgrade to MBBS. Otherwise, it will be unfair.”

Parents are expecting a speedy decision from the CET cell, as November 13 is the last day for choice filling, and the allotment will happen on November 14. However, CET officials said any such relaxation is not possible, according to the existing admission guidelines.

Meanwhile, Shenoy stated that in 2016, the CET cell allowed students to apply in Round 4, as one college was permitted to apply for more seats after Round 3.

After the completion of the third round of medical admissions in the state, as many as 387 MBBS seats remain vacant across the state. Of these, 37 seats are in government medical colleges, while around 350 seats are still unfilled in private institutions. As per CET Cell data, 508 BDS seats remain vacant for the fourth round — 26 in government colleges and 482 in private institutions.