CHENNAI: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has proposed to conduct the All India and state counselling simultaneously this year to avoid MBBS and BDS seats going vacant, Health Minister Ma Subramanian has said, adding that the sale of applications will likely begin in a week. He was speaking at the launch of 104 helpline offering psychological counselling for students who did not qualify NEET-UG, at the DMS campus on Thursday.
Officials from the Directorate of Medical Education (DME) told TNIE that NMC has called for an online meeting for opinions from states on simultaneous counselling. However the state is yet to get the written communication from NMC, they added.
Many states including Tamil Nadu have sought at least a month’s time so that they can invite applications and prepare the mark list before starting simultaneous counselling, they added. Subramanian said this year 500 more MBBS seats were added this year, of which 450 are in private medical colleges and 50 BDS seats at the Government Pudukottai Dental College. Permission will be sought from the union health ministry for six new medical colleges in the state, he added.
“The state has fared well in the NEET exam this year. The top performers from the state in NEET this year will be felicitated and it is the government’s duty. At the same time, the state will continue to fight against NEET,” the minister added.
He said that 1.5 lakh students from Tamil Nadu appeared for NEET-UG this year of which 78,693 cleared it. The state has sought from the National Testing Agency to provide the list of 68,823 students who have not qualified to provide counselling. The minister said, of the 1.5 lakh students who were counselled in the earlier sessions, 177 were identified as high risk and were followed up on.
Anti-NEET Bill still alive, says MaSu
The Ministry of Education has sought clarifications from the state on the anti-NEET Bill last week and it will be sent in a week, said Health Minister Ma Subramanian. He said earlier also the Centre had sought clarifications. “This shows the anti NEET-Bill is still active and gives hope that the state will get an exemption from NEET.”
‘Balaji has 90% block in arteries’
Minister Senthil Balaji has 80-90% block in arteries and his wife has sought a second opinion of doctors from Apollo Hospitals as he was advised to have surgery. ED officials had sought opinion from ESIC doctors and they also gave the same opinion, said Subramanian. His family decided to shift him to Kauvery hospital.