CHENNAI: Health Minister Ma Subramanian on Wednesday wrote a letter to his union counterpart J P Nadda requesting his personal intervention to ensure all the 50% superspeciality seats earmarked for in-service candidates under the state quota are retained and made available in round 2 of state-level NEET-SS counselling.
The letter follows reports that 145 of the 215 seats reserved for in-service candidates, who had qualified for the quota by serving in government-run hospitals for a specific number of years, that were not taken in round 1 counselling have been surrendered to the All India Quota (AIQ) since the Union government did not give approval or schedule for the state to conduct its second round of counselling.
However, Subramanian said it has come to the notice of the government that “the process of surrendering the unfilled in-service seats to the All-India quota is being considered, without conducting the mandatory second round of counselling at the state level”.
He said such a move would effectively deprive in-service candidates in Tamil Nadu of their rightful opportunity to upgrade or participate in the subsequent round of counselling.
He said this would be contrary to the spirit and intent of the order of the Supreme Court, based on which the 50% reservation has been implemented in the state.
The minister added the state has received numerous representations from in-service candidates seeking upgradation of their courses or colleges in the round 2 of NEET-SS counselling at the state-level. Sources said though a smaller number of seats reserved for in-service candidates are surrendered to AIQ, it is done only after the round 2 of counselling at the state-level is over.
The first round of NEET-SS counselling for the state quota in-service candidates was completed on May 27. On May 29, the selection committee for admissions in Tamil Nadu formally requested the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) to indicate the round 2 schedule for the state. However, since the DGHS did not give nod, the seats were surrendered.
Dr M Akilan, state secretary, Tamil Nadu Medical Officers Association (TNMOA) said the association has filed an urgent writ petition on the issue in the Madras High Court as well. The TNMOA in its letter to Tamil Nadu health secretary said they are deeply concerned and distressed by the recent decision to surrender the SS seats to AIQ. This premature surrender of seats is unprecedented and has not been adopted by any other state in the country, the letter said, adding this would affect the prospects of doctors who have dedicated many years by serving in government hospitals.
The state has a total of 412 SS seats of which 215 were reserved for in-service doctors.