NEET UG seat selection process to be same
Putting all uncertainties to rest, Medical Education Minister S A Ramadas on Wednesday said that the seat selection and admission process for National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Under Graduate (NEET UG) 2013 will be conducted according to the state’s policy by the Karnataka Examination Authority.
“The fee structure and the reservation policy will be applicable as the previous years. The Central Board for Secondary Education will only conduct the NEET and announce the state-wise results. The entire seat selection process will be handled by the state government,” Ramadas said.
The minister said NEET 2013 would also use the online seat selection process.
Meanwhile, a financial allocation of Rs 87.50 crore has been approved by the Cabinet for upgradation of Bidar Medical College Teaching Hospital and the bed strength of the hospitals will be increased from 350 to 750.
Seven Govt Medical Colleges Approved
Seven new government medical colleges in Chamarajnagar, Tumkur, Haveri, Chitradurga, Koppal, Gadag and Madikeri have been accorded permission by the Medical Council of India (MCI) and the government has instructed the deputy commissioners of the respective districts to pursue the matter. According to Ramadas, each new medical college is expected to have 100 under graduate MBBS seats and the MCI will inspect these proposed colleges in January next year.
The controversial OPEC Hospital in Raichur, which was earlier run by the Apollo group of hospitals, has now been taken back by the Medical Education Department. “As much as `20 crore has been set aside to provide the best super speciality services in OPEC hospital, which will be inaugurated on December 1,” he said.
Tertiary Cancer Centres have been proposed to be established in the nine medical colleges with each institute getting an allocation of Rs 60 crore. In a meeting with a Union Health Minister, the Rural Health Bill for MBBS students was assured of presidential assent at the earliest. He said, “With the seat enhancements, the total MBBS seats intake will increase from 1,250 to 1,900 for the 2013 academic year and if the new proposed colleges are included then the total seats in government colleges will be 2,600. The post graduate seats will increase from 616 to 700 under the seat enhancement programme”.