CHENNAI: Facing criticism that only a small number of medical seats in the State went to students from the State Board syllabus, the State government clarified on Thursday that more than two-thirds of them went to these students, while students from all other boards made up the rest. Of the 4,546 MBBS and BDS seats allotted so far in the ongoing medical counselling, State Board candidates secured 3,112 seats and CBSE and other board students together secured only 1,434 seats, said a statement from the government.
Till Wednesday, 4,090 students from Tamil Nadu who studied in the State were allotted seats. Also 428 among Tamil Nadu natives, and 28 students from elsewhere who studied in the State from class VIII to XII in the State were also allotted seats.
Denying reports that over 1,500 students from other States were allotted seats in Tamil Nadu, the statement said the scrutinising committee at the counselling venue was verifying nativity certificates of students.
From this year, the government will also cross-check the nativity certificates of students, who were natives of Tamil Nadu but studied elsewhere, with the States they studied to check genuineness. The certificates also will be sent to the medical education selection committee of the States to check if the students had taken medical seats there as well.
The first phase of counselling will end on Friday, and the second phase will be conducted on Saturday and Sunday for seats in government medical colleges, and government and management seats in self-financing medical colleges.
340 seats allotted
On Thursday, 6,478 candidates were called; 503 candidates attended, and 340 seats were allotted. Also 136 candidates opted out and 27 were wait-listed.