Consensus eludes meet on common counselling for medical seats

Confusion over common counselling for allocation of seats in medical and dental colleges prevails as the government and private colleges failed to reach a consensus over the issue. Dr Sharan Prakash Patil, Minister for Medical Education, held a discussion with representatives of private medical colleges to discuss the issue of counselling.

The government’s proposal to have the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) conduct common counselling was not accepted by private colleges. For entrance to medical and dental colleges, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) conducts a common National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET). Recently, the Medical Council of India (MCI) sent a circular to the government, recommending that the state government should conduct common counselling after the rank list is announced, if possible. 

Patil tried to convince the board members of private colleges who attended the meeting that common counselling would be beneficial for students and this was the practice in many others states. The private college representatives, however, did not accept the proposal.

Common counselling
Last year, the government tried to conduct common counselling for seats in the all-India quota based on NEET ranks, but private colleges opposed the move. As a result, KEA, Comed-K, religious and linguistic minority colleges and six deemed universities conducted individual counselling. Students had to apply for each counselling separately.

Representatives of the colleges said that they wanted to have control over the counselling at least. They said they would have discussions among themselves before deciding on the issue. Another meeting will be held soon with the college representatives and the government before taking a call, they said.