Tamil Nadu: 500 MBBS, BDS seats may fall vacant this year

Chennai: At least 500 medical seats that were allotted in the first round of medical and dental counselling are likely to fall vacant. This is because students who were allotted seats in government colleges through all India quota and state quota, were also allotted seats under management and NRI quota. In some cases, the state selection committee allotted students to the same colleges under government and management quota.

For instance, a student who was allotted a seat in AIIMS, Delhi in the counselling held by the medical counselling committee of the Directorate General of Health Services was allotted a seat at the Madras Medical College. At least nine students who were allotted seats in JIPMER, Puducherry have been allotted seats in Madras Medical College. In some cases, students were given seats in Madras Medical College both through AIQ and state round.

Even at the state level, students were allotted seats both in the government and management quota. For instance, a student who secured a seat in the Madras Medical College was allotted a seat in PSG Medical College. At least 19 students who got admission at the Christian Medical College in Vellore under the management quota have also got government quota MBBS seats in other colleges.

Selection committee secretary R Muthuselvan said it was unavoidable in online simultaneous counselling. "Students apply in both government and management quota because they may have some self-financing colleges as the second or third priority. We cannot deny a meritorious student that chance," he said.

Experts agreed. But that does not explain how some students got admission to the same college though different quotas. Among them, four candidates have got seats in CMC Vellore both under government quota and management quota. Similarly, five students have been allotted seats in PSG Medical College in Coimbatore under government and management quota.