15% PG quota demand might have inservice doctors protesting soon

Vijaywada: The in-service PG doctors are planning to stage a statewide protest against the MCI decision to grant them an 8-10 percent mark incentive as against the 15% quota demand for PG seats raised by them.

With counseling for all India Quota, PG NEET ending on March 26 and the State counselling process starting soon after, the in-service doctors demand in the State for 15 percent quota in PG seats is gathering momentum..

The Medical Council of India (MCI) has issued guidelines regarding admissions being done based on incentive marks ranging between 8% and 10 %. The NTR Health University has meanwhile, issued guidelines that MCI instructions are to be followed for all counseling and admissions to be undertaken.

As per the Council guideline, 8% of MBBS marks in each year of in-service doctors working in rural villages will be added to the PG NEET score,, while 10% would be granted to those serving tribal villages. According to state officials, these incentive marks would benefit the in-service doctors. However, the in-service doctors are demanding 15% separate quota for PG seats in the State.

Till last year, 30 percent of State quota seats were reserved for the in-service doctors. After joining the national pool this year, 50 percent of the seats in the state are to be given away to the national pool. This leaves behind a mere 50% with the State government. The in-service doctors are demanding 15 percent of the State quota instead of incentive marks..

Andhra Pradesh has 738 PG medical seats. Of them, 369 will be in the national pool. Across AP, 6,028 candidates have been qualified in the NEET PG, but only 200 candidates came in the first 5,000 ranks and got eligible to secure seats in the national pool. That means, 169 PG medical seats in the national pool will go to candidates from other States.

“We will follow the MCI guidelines and take up the admissions based on the weightage for the in-service doctors. The government has to take a decision whether to give separate quota for the in-service doctors. The State counseling will begin from the second week of April,” Registrar, NTR University Appalanaidu told the Indian Express.

An in-service doctor, countering all said, “As the State is joining the national pool this year, we will lose a good number of seats. The in-service quota should be granted at any cost. The weightage marks will make only a little difference. If the government doesn’t respond to our demand, we will conduct massive agitations across the State.”

In an earlier story done Medical Dialogues team had stated the in-service qualifiers of NEET PG 2018 were found wondering whether their selection would be done by weightage of scores or reservation meant for them. The apex education regulator had earlier in the year issued guidelines that the admissions will be done with 15 percent weightage. However, protests by in-service doctors led to the council putting their decision on hold.