

BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha Joint Entrance Examination (OJEE) committee has initiated process for admission to 1,863 MBBS and BDS seats in government and private medical colleges this year.
Medical college admission this year has been delayed in the state by over a fortnight owing to multiple issues including the NEET row. A total of 5,421 students have figured in the final merit list published by the OJEE committee on the basis of NEET ranking for MBBS and BDS admission on August 20.
The choice-locking which started on August 21 will continue till Friday (August 23), after which the OJEE committee will announce the provisional allotment of seats in the first round on August 25 and final allotment of the seats in the first round on August 27.
The admission of selected candidates will take place between August 29 and September 3, while the seats left vacant will be displayed on September 10.
OJEE chairman DP Satpathy said the seat strength in medical colleges in the state this year is 50 more as compared to the previous year. It increased following National Medical Commission’s approval for 50 MBBS seats at the new Jajati Keshari Government Medical College and Hospital in Jajpur.
The total medical seats announced for the state excludes 15 per cent All India quota. OJEE committee officials said out of the total 1,863 seats, 154 are for BDS at SCB Dental College in Cuttack and Hi-Tech Dental College in Bhubaneswar, while the remaining 1,709 are for MBBS in government and private medical colleges.
The private medical colleges - Hi-Tech, Bhubaneswar; Hi-Tech, Rourkela; and DRIEMS, Cuttack - will enroll 350 MBBS students, while the remaining 1,359 are government seats that include 212 each in SCB medical college and hospital (MCH) and MKCG MCH and 170 seats in VIMSAR, Burla.
Keeping in view the publication of final allotment of seats in the first round on August 27, OJEE sources said the fourth and final round BTech enrolment has been kept to August 28.
SEAT STRENGTH
50 more medical seats in state this year
Of total 1,863 seats, 154 are for BDS and 1,709 for MBBS
350 MBBS seats in private medical colleges, 1,359 in govt
Choice-locking to continue till Aug 23 (Friday)
Admission of selected candidates to take place between Aug 29 and Sep 3