The health ministry on Tuesday called off counselling of medical aspirants achieving top ranks midway. This follows the ministry’s move to “modify” the CBSE-issued merit list. Students have now alleged that the rankings were being rigged.
According to a notice posted on Tuesday on the ministry website, allotments of the All-India Pre-medical/Dental seats to MBBS and BDS aspirants have been kept in abeyance as the merit list given by CBSE is being “modified”.
Kairavi Bharadwaj, the last student counselled, was allotted a seat in Topiwala National Medical College (TNMC), Mumbai on Monday.
“I am confused now since the counselling has been kept in abeyance. I got through Manipal but came here instead. Now, I stand to lose both seats,” said Kairavi, who stood 500th on the merit list, said.
The ministry had counselled 500 students thus far.
What upset the students is that the ministry of health and family welfare did not inform anyone until they turned up for counselling from various states. “They have put one notice on their website, but who checks their website every hour. This is an important notice; we could have gone to other colleges for counselling. They should have advertised it,” said S. Bharadwaj, Kairavi’s father.
The notice on the ministry’s website states: “The merit/waitlist already prepared by the CBSE is being modified and the CBSE has already approached the Supreme Court to seek approval for modification. Since the court’s directions are awaited, it has been decided by the ministry of health & DGHS to keep in abeyance the ongoing counselling for the allotment of MBBS/BDS seats under 15 per cent of all-India Quota. Further instructions will be hosted on the ministry's website in due course.”
{{/usCountry}}The notice on the ministry’s website states: “The merit/waitlist already prepared by the CBSE is being modified and the CBSE has already approached the Supreme Court to seek approval for modification. Since the court’s directions are awaited, it has been decided by the ministry of health & DGHS to keep in abeyance the ongoing counselling for the allotment of MBBS/BDS seats under 15 per cent of all-India Quota. Further instructions will be hosted on the ministry's website in due course.”
{{/usCountry}}CBSE officials said the problem was at the counselling centre and not at their end.