Students appearing for the Common Entrance Test-2013 may not see an increase in the number of MBBS seats in government autonomous colleges and the new medical colleges which were scheduled to start this year.
With the government yet to begin the process for new medical colleges, the chances of an increase in the number of medical seats remains bleak.
In November 2012, S A Ramadas, Minister for Medical Education, had announced an increase in MBBS seats in all the existing medical colleges.
He also announced that seven new medical colleges with 100 seats each will start for the 2013-14 academic year. The proposed colleges were to be established in Chamarajnagar, Tumkur, Haveri, Chitradurga, Koppal, Gadag and Madikeri.
A source from the Medical Education Department said: “A grant of `75 crore has been set aside for the new colleges. The priority is to find suitable land for the seven new colleges and the process has not yet started.” The Medical Council of India is expected to inspect the preliminary preparation for these colleges in March. There is no preparation as yet and hence the new colleges and seat enhancement will be implemented for the 2014-15 academic year and not the present year.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka Examination Authority has floated tenders for the printing of brochures of CET-2013, which is likely to be held on May 1, 2 and 3. The tenders were floated for printing of OMR application forms as well. “CET-2013 is solely dependent on the Supreme Court judgement on National Entrance cum Eligibility Test (NEET). However, the delay has forced the government to go ahead with the state’s entrance test. A crucial and final meeting will be held within this week in the KEA to work out the modalities of CET,” the source added. As many as 2,221 MBBS and 837 BDS seats were available in the government quota through CET 2012.