AIADMK to organize agitation over govt failure to ensure seats in medical colleges

Puducherry: AIADMK announced that it would launch an agitation near the Raj Nivas (office of Lt Governor) in the next few days to condemn the failure of government to ensure availability of seats in private medical colleges and in deemed to be universities in Puducherry for students of Union Territory. Talking to newspersons here, AIADMK (Amma) legislature party leader A Anbazhagan has charged the territorial government with 'letting down students of UT by failing to procure fifty percent of total seats in MBBS course in private medical colleges'.

He said that the three private medical colleges having a total 450 seats in first year MBBS course had earmarked only 165 seats from government quota during the 2017-2018 academic year. Puducherry government should have procured 225 seats which is fifty percent of the total seats', he said and alleged that without taking proper steps,Chief Minister V Narayanasamy had done injustice to students.

Lt Governor Kiran Bedi should also have taken steps to ensure fifty percent quota for the government in the colleges. 'Both the Lt Governor and Chief Minister have failed in their efforts on the issue, he said. There was a strict direction by the Medical Council of India (MCI) that fifty percent quota should be ensured in all private colleges. 'This was not implemented in practice in Puducherry' Mr Anbazhagan said and added that the three deemed to be universities in Puducherry were also not earmarking seats for students. 'The seats in deemed to be universities were now brought under the central government quota and Puducherry has consequently lost 137 seats, he said. He also took strong exception to the failure of government in persuading the Centre to ensure that Puducherry was exempted from NEET. 'Puducherry government can associate itself with Tamil Nadu government and resort to steps taken by neighbouring state government to protect students of Puducherry', he added.