The state government is in talks with deemed universities to provide 25% seats in medical and dental courses for students from Karnataka at concessional fees.

Participating in a discussion on a Bill in the Legislative Assembly, Medical Education Minister Sharanprakash Patil said unaided colleges have agreed to provide 33% seats in PG medical and dental courses to the government while minority colleges have  consented to part with 20% seats.

However, deemed universities were yet to give an assurance on sharing seats with the government. “We are in talks with them. Deemed universities do not come under the jurisdiction of the state government as they are governed by a law passed by Parliament. However, the government’s go- ahead is required for them to get deemed university status, which we will utilise and make them share seats,” the minister said.

The Council passed the Karnataka Professional Educational Institutional (Regulation of Admission and Determination of Fee) (Amendment) Bill, 2017, which will pave way for centralised counselling for PG medical and dental courses. The bill has already been passed by the Assembly.

The Karnataka Examinations Authority will conduct centralised counselling for post-graduate medical and dental courses for 2017-18 across all types of institutions including government, private, minority and deemed university colleges.

The Council also passed the Karnataka Medical Registration (Amendment) Bill, 2017, that makes it mandatory for all medical practitioners to undergo a minimum of 120 hours of Continued Medical Education Programme over a period of five years in any recognised medical conference, workshop or seminar for renewal of their registration.