TIRUCHY: Ten students trained at the State Medical Education Centre in Government Model School Thuvakudi have been allotted seats through the All India Quota (AIQ) counselling, including five MBBS and five BDS seats, with seven of them also having secured seats under TN's 7.5% quota for government-school students.
Of the 10 students allotted seats through AIQ, seven had also secured seats under the 7.5% government-school quota, while three obtained AIQ seats without a corresponding seat under the 7.5% quota. Further, four students had opportunities through all three routes, the 7.5% quota, AIQ and IISER admissions, giving them multiple higher-education options to choose from.
Of the 28 students from the centre who had already secured MBBS seats under the 7.5% quota, seven have now also secured AIQ seats. Additionally, three students have newly secured MBBS seats through AIQ, taking the centre's total medical admissions this year to 31 students.
Officials at the centre said encouraging students who are eligible for the 7.5% quota to take up AIQ seats could potentially release seats under the state quota for other government-school students.
"For example, if a student gets a seat in Madras Medical College under the 7.5% quota and gets the same seat through AIQ, the student can opt for the AIQ seat. This can leave the 7.5% quota seat available for another government-school student," an official associated with the centre said.
The official said this was the first time students from the centre's batch had secured seats through the AIQ. The centre had encouraged eligible students to participate in the national counselling process alongside the state counselling.
The AIQ counselling process is still under way, with the first round completed and subsequent rounds to follow. There are four rounds of counselling, the official said, adding that students could have multiple choices as allotments progressed.