Comed-K will spare 33% seats

Medical Education Minister S A Ramadas clarified on Wednesday that the government would not bow to pressure from private institutions on relaxing the government quota.

The admission process to postgraduate medical and dental courses under Comed-K witnessed chaos in Bangalore on Tuesday.

The minister told reporters that the government and Comed-K had reached a consensus which makes it mandatory for private colleges to spare 33 per cent of the seats.

He said the government had strictly asked the colleges to reserve 33 per cent of the seats for government fee quota as per rule.

“There is no compromise this year. Though there was a lobby for relaxing the government quota and effecting a hike in the course fee, we rejected it. The government will act tough under the law if any institution violated the rule,” the Minister warned.

He opined that the government wanted to ensure social justice and make sure that doctors were available for the public and government service.

“Medical education should not be a prerogative of the rich. We cannot expect students who pay hefty donations to serve in the villages,” he said.

A few minority institutions had resisted the government’s tough stand on the 33 per cent quota.

They would face severe consequences if they failed to adhere to the rules, he added.