Four rounds later, 208 dental seats remain vacant across Maharashtra

Despite three common admission rounds and one institutional admission round, 208 seats in undergraduate dental colleges across Maharashtra have found no takers.

Despite three common admission rounds and one institutional admission round, 208 seats in undergraduate dental colleges across Maharashtra have found no takers. The figure also includes 62 seats in government-run dental colleges, which otherwise boast of zero vacancies.

HT Image

Students and parents have blamed this seat vacancy on the delay in admissions owing to the floods in various parts of Maharashtra as well as petitions filed in Bombay high court and Supreme Court, which left many students with no option but to confirm admissions in institutes outside the state. However, college officials also feel that dental institutes mushrooming in the state without appropriate infrastructure are adding to the increase in seat vacancy, especially in dental colleges.

“While there is a huge demand for medical seats, dental seats still have very limited demand. Many new institutes were allowed to conduct admissions in the state. The government and the Dental Council of India are not taking the demand for dental seats into account before giving permission to new institutes [to conduct admissions],” said the trustee of a Dhule-based dental institute.

HT had recently highlighted how over 40% seats in private dental colleges were vacant after three rounds of common admissions. The state CET cell surrendered 1,028 seats to individual colleges to fill up in the final institutional round. On Thursday, 208 dental seats remained vacant after the institutional round.

“As per the deadline prescribed by the SC, admissions had to be wrapped up by September 15. Seats that remain vacant after that cannot be allotted to anyone unless institutes take up this matter with SC,” said Anand Rayate, commissioner, state CET cell.

While all medical, as well as dental institutes in the state, have already started regular lectures, a group of undergraduate dental institutes are now planning to approach the apex court for an extension in admission deadline. “We are in talks with a law firm to understand if this step will help us because leaving seats vacant will be unfair on students who are eligible, but can’t seek admissions because of the deadline,” said the trustee.