Medical PG seats: Karnataka students to get 50 per cent reservation

This 50% reservation to state students will come in the 42% seats given to private medical colleges, which is now called as Open category.

Picture for representational purpose

BENGALURU: Postgraduate (PG) medical seat aspirants in state can finally heave a sigh of relief, as the State Department of Medical Education has decided to reserve seats for students from Karnataka under Open Category at private medical colleges in the state.

Considering the demand by PG medical seat aspirants, the department has brought amendments to the PG CET medical admission rules where 50% reservation will be given for students from Karnataka under Open Category. The same will be included in the admission notification which will be issued on Monday.

Speaking about it a senior official from the Medical Education Department said, “There was a demand  from aspirants to remove the Open Category and not to allow students from outside Karnataka. As a first step, we have tried to provide some relief by giving 50% reservation to students from Karnataka.”

This 50% reservation to state students will come in the 42% seats given to private medical colleges, which is now called as Open category. Under seat sharing 33% goes to government, 42% for private colleges and 15% NRI and 10% institutional and in-service quota. Under the 42% seats, the private colleges allow students outside Karnataka based on National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) rankings.

For the last three years, PG medical seat aspirants from the state have been fighting against the Open Category where students out side Karnataka were allowed to get admissions in the state. During 2017-18, they even approached the High Court where the court quashed the application saying that the process for admission had already started.

“Not just 50%, we hope the government will stop allowing students from outside Karnataka under Open Category. When we are ready to pay the fee fixed for students from outside Karnataka, what is the need to allow to them,” a student said.Under the Open category, even candidates from other states can apply and appear for counselling. This comes to around 1000 seats every year. But, seat aspirants from the state says that they are not allowed to take part in the counselling at any other states.