JOIN USAIPMT puts counselling onus on 'respective authorities'
The respective authorities of state, universities or institutes are entrusted with the responsibility of conducting counselling for seats to be distributed under National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), according to the guidelines on the All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT) website.
The state government had expressed interest earlier this week on conducting the counselling, but the private medical colleges had said that they would conduct it for seats to be filled under NEET. However, the guidelines on the website state otherwise.
For the 15 per cent all-India quota seats, counselling will be conducted by the Directorate General of Health Services. However, “for seats under the control of participating states/universities/institutions, their respective authorities will conduct the counselling,” according to the Frequently Asked Questions section on the website.
‘Waiting for legal opinion’
Minister for Medical Education Dr Sharanprakash Patil said that they were yet to receive a response from the legal department and that they would take necessary measures after that. He said that they would take a call on the seats in private colleges following this.
The private colleges had said that the consensual agreement with the government had come to an end following the centre’s ordinance and that they would not give seats for the government quota, filled through the CET.
Students in quandary
Karthik, a student from Bengaluru who appeared for NEET 1, said, “We are caught in a web of confusion. Neither the CBSE board nor the state nor the private colleges seem to have any concern about what we are going through. I will appear for phase 2 and then decide on what to do. Many of my friends also said that they would write NEET 2 and then take a call.”
Srikanth, chief executive, ComedK, said that they had expressed interest to conduct counselling for the seats themselves.
“Instead of having it in individual private colleges as is mentioned in the FAQ, we want it under one umbrella, which will be our association,” Srikanth said.
They had said that the so-called Medical and Dental Colleges Association of
Karnataka would frame norms for the counselling to be conducted by ComedK.
This will be applicable for seats in 12 medical and 19 dental colleges in the state.