200 PG seats in government medical, dental colleges may go vacant: Experts

After months of delay, the state common entrance test (CET) cell on Sunday night, released the second and final mop-up round seat allotment list for postgraduate

After months of delay, the state common entrance test (CET) cell on Sunday night, released the second and final mop-up round seat allotment list for postgraduate (PG) medical and dental students. However, the educational experts are now worried that at least 200 seats in the state government colleges are likely to go vacant due to the delay.

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The experts believe that many applicants confirmed their seats in colleges in other states because of the delay in conducting admissions for PG seats in Maharashtra.

“This year, of the total 1,170 seats in the government colleges, around 200 seats are likely to go vacant in the state. Every year, 50-60 seats in PG medical seats go vacant. While the private institutes can allot these seats after common admissions process ends, government colleges are left with vacant seats. At a time when we need doctors, the least CET cell could have done was tweak the rules, keeping Covid-19 situation in mind,” said Muzaffar Khan, a Thane-based medical education counsellor.

Moreover, these students were not allowed to withdraw their applications through Maharashtra common admission rounds, therefore, names of many students that appeared in the final mop-up round, were of students whose admissions have already been confirmed elsewhere.

“Registrations for PG medical and dental admissions in Maharashtra started in March, but the seat allotment started only in May. By then many students opted for seats through the all India quota (AIQ) or other quotas in different states and secured admissions. Now towards the end of the process, the CET cell has not allowed any student’s request to withdraw from the admissions process and our names have once again appeared on the list,” said an applicant on condition of anonymity.

She added that several students had also approached the CET cell asking for an exception to be made considering the circumstances this year, but received no response in return.

Registrations to postgraduate medical courses started in March, but with growing cases of Covid-19 and the eventual nation-wide lockdown, the Medical Council of India, in its circular in March had clarified that while online registrations have ended, aspirants could finish the form filling process online, till March 26. However, the first merit list which was originally scheduled to be released on April 4 could not be released until the May end.

“This was an unnecessary round because most students have already confirmed admissions in other states. They have also informed the CET cell about the same. Now these students fear a fine from the government, and as per rule, if a student does not accept a seat allotted in CET rounds, s/he is liable to pay as much as ₹20 lakh to the government,” added Khan.

State CET cell commissioner Sandeep Kadam told HT that even though students had approached the cell to remove their names from the admissions process, the same was not possible. “As per rules, applicants cannot withdraw their names from the admissions process before the mop-up round begins,” said Kadam. However, he refused to divulge any details on how many such names have been allotted seats on the final round.