Medical students caught in blame game

Govt determined to procure the seats for CET candidates

The medical institutions have alleged that the State had not included the institutions in the seat matrix, for first round of seat selection process submitted to the Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA).

 However, the State has clearly directed that the medical institutions have to admit the students for the academic year and likewise the students too have approached the court to solve the disputing matter. Both the medical colleges that have obtained deemed university status have already allotted 100 seats each to other meritorious students.

Dr Saeed Akheel Ahmed, Vice Chancellor, Yenepoya University, argued that the government had not included the college’s name in the seat matrix. Yenepoya went ahead with the admission process for the medical course, as they assumed that the Government has heeded to their request made as per the deemed university status, to exempt them from the seat matrix, claimed the Vice Chancellor. “We will conduct an emergency meeting on  Monday to take the further course of action”, said Dr Saeed.

Meanwhile, KSHMA of  NITTE University is waiting for  the matter to come up for hearing  on Monday. NITTE university alleged that the government had not communicated to any of the letters that were sent regarding the number of seats or the fee fixed for course. Vishal Hegde, Trustee, NITTE University, said, “The University will take further action based on the court proceedings”.

However the government is determined to procure the medical seats for CET candidates as first priority. A top official from Department of Medical Education, alleged, “Both the Universities are cheating the students. It is clear that the undertaking of 25 per cent seats was discussed with them before hand. As per the discussion and agreement both the colleges were included in KEA 2009 brochure before being dispatched. The institutions cannot turn back now on the agreement, by denying admissions to the CET students”.

In Mangalore, the district administration sought direction from the Principal Secretary to Health and Family Welfare Department with regard to the issue of refusal of medical seats to students by the Deemed Universities. District-in-Charge Deputy Commissioner S A Prabhakar Sharma told Deccan Herald that he has sought the direction from the Principle Secretary as to what action can be initiated with regard to the denial of MBBS seats to students by the Yenepoya University and K S Hegde Medical Academy.

Both institutes, which have Deemed University status, had refused MBBS admission to 50 students (25 each), who were allotted seats by the CET Cell. Principal Secretary to Health and Family Welfare Department also had directed them to provide seats to students who were selected by the KEA.

Sharma said that the department’s direction is necessary since both the Universities have Deemed University status.  He said that he wrote to the Department based on the written complaints of 14 qualified students, who were denied seats by Yenepoya University and K S Hegde Medical Academy.

Parents alleged that an order issued by the In-Charge DC Sharma directing the Yenepoya to admit students was ignored by the registrar.

Dr Sandeep, relative of a student said that the University denied seat to his cousin even after producing the order issued by the DC.


Institutes clarify

Nitte University has claimed that while issuing NOC, the State Government had imposed a condition that 25 per cent of seats should be given to Government. This condition was very arbitrary as out of 15 deemed universities the condition was applied to only two. The government had not responded to several letters on the issue. Also, in the first round of counselling held in June 2009, the name of K S Medical Academy was not included.  "The Management therefore presumed that the Government is not inclined to send students," a release said.  In a separate clarification, Yenepoya Medical College said in the first notification released by the State Government on May 28, 2009, its name did not appear.  However, in the second notification issued on July 20, the college name was included. "By this time we had as per our calendar of events, announced the rank list and had dispatched letters calling the students to attend counselling.  This sudden change on the part of the Government has put our students in a difficult situation," a release said.