PUDUCHERRY: The Puducherry Union Territory All CENTAC Students Parents Association (PCSPA) has urged the government to immediately release the pending financial assistance under the Perunthalaivar Kamaraj Financial Assistance Scheme (PKFAS) for CENTAC-sponsored students. The scheme, which provides aid to students in both government and private institutions pursuing medical, engineering, and other professional courses, has not been disbursed since 2022.
In a petition addressed to the Lieutenant Governor, Chief Minister, and key government officials, PCSPA president M Narayanasamy highlighted the financial distress faced by students, particularly those from economically weaker backgrounds, who enrolled in medical and engineering colleges based on the assurance of government support.
The association also raised concerns over the special 10% reservation introduced in 2023 for government school students pursuing medical education, which promised full tuition fee coverage. However, the absence of a government order has led to confusion among colleges, with institutions now demanding fees from students, jeopardising their education, PCSPA stated.
Similarly, students of the Women’s Engineering College in Lawspet, which was upgraded from Women’s Polytechnic in the 2022-23 academic year, were assured eligibility for PKFAS. However, no government order has been issued since 2022, leaving students and colleges in financial uncertainty. PCSPA has urged the government to provide immediate clarity on CENTAC funding for these institutions.
The association has also demanded an increase in medical seats at Indira Gandhi Government Medical College & Research Institute (IGMC&RI) from 180 to 250, citing the growing demand among local students.
Puducherry has nine medical colleges with a total of 1,874 seats, yet only 435 seats are allocated for local students. As a result, many Puducherry students scoring above 450 marks in NEET are unable to secure admission. PCSPA has called on the government to pass a resolution in the Legislative Assembly urging the centre to reserve 50% of medical seats for local students.
The demand for increasing seats at IGMC&RI follows private medical colleges in the region raising their MBBS intake from 150 to 250. PCSPA has stressed the need for similar measures in government institutions to benefit Puducherry students.