Engg counselling delay leaves medical aspirants in a fix

Due to the delay in engineering counselling, the students are likely to join their respective medical courses in the middle of their first term, if they do manage to get a seat under the casual vacancy round before July 30. According to a Supreme Court ruling, the medical colleges have to begin their academic year on August 1 of every year.
With the CET counselling for engineering students likely to start only after July 14, the medical casual vacancy round will be pushed further. As a cascading effect, students getting a seat under the casual vacancy round for medical courses will be able to join in the middle of the academic year.

While the Government on Monday said it was helpless with regard to medical aspirants under the CET casual vacancy quota, the Consortium for Medical, Engineering and Dental in Karnataka (Comed-K) has decided to carry on their medical counselling rounds as per schedule on July 12 and 13. Following which the casual vacancy round will commence on July 27.

Speaking to the media, Minister for Higher Education, Aravind Limbavali said the government was in a fix. “We cannot help it. The medical casual vacancy rounds will have to commence only after the engineering counselling sessions,” he said.

Comed-K in the meantime has stated that due to the paucity of time, medical rounds, first and final, will both be held on time. “However, we will be holding a meeting and a clear picture will emerge on Tuesday,” said Dr Kumar, Convener for Comed-K.

According to Dr G T Subhas, dean of Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, most of its 150 seats have been taken and hence, the delay in the medical casual vacancy round will not affect them. “We will begin our academic year from August 1. More than half of the admissions are over,” he said, adding that private and new medical colleges may face problem due to the late counselling.

Meanwhile, an official from Department of Medical Education said there was no cause for worry as the deadline for admission in medical colleges - government and private - was September 30. “We have got lots of time,” the official said.

As for the 420 seats, which are awaiting approval from Medical Council of India, the inspections are over and decision would be taken in a week’s time, added the official.