VIJAYAWADA: NEET PG counselling for State quota is likely to get delayed due to a lack of clarity over the implementation of the 10 per cent reservation for the Economically Backward Sections (EBS) and the five percent reservation for the Kapu community. There are also speculations that the reservation for the Kapus does not extend to all, and is restricted to the economically backward Kapus.
Apart from this, there is also confusion over the allocation of 15 per cent quota to non-locals, which was earlier scrapped by the government. However, after students approached the court with their demand, the government had to implement it for the academic year 2018-2019.
Even the total number of PG seats under the State quota have also not been finalised yet and according to the officials of NTR University of Health Sciences (NTRUHS), the allocation of seats to these groups will be made in a day or two. According to the academic calendar, the notification for PG counselling should have been released on March 20. The counselling process was scheduled to begin from March 25, after the completion of the first phase counselling of All India quota. However, officials now expect the State counselling to begin around first week of April, after the completion of the second phase of All India quota counselling.
Meanwhile, counselling for the national pool of NEET PG, which has already started, will conclude on March 25. After the completion of the first counselling of national pool, the State will have to start its first counselling. But, till date, the Dr NTR University of Health Sciences has not decided whether to issue the notification or not.
Speaking to TNIE, S Appala Naidu, Registrar of NTRUHS, said, “Counselling will be delayed due to certain reasons this time. We might not be able to catch up with the schedule of All India quota, as the PG seats for the State are not yet finalised. Even the 10 per cent reservation lacks the clarity that we need to get from the State government.
The counselling for the State is likely to start from the first week of April. In case we do not get an order from the State government regarding the reservations for the EBS and the Kapu community, we will not implement it.”
Clock ticking
Counselling for the national pool of NEET PG has started and after the completion of its first counselling, the State will have to start its first counselling too