Unfortunate: 500 seats vacant in SS courses in AP,Telangana, 100 in Tamil Nadu

Hyderabad: Union Health Minister, J.P. Nadda has received a request for an extension of counselling deadline for NEET super specialty courses to October 17 from Karim Nagar TRS, MP, B. Vinod Kumar. The request has been made as more than 500 seats continue to remain vacant after the second round of the counselling. Similar situation exists in Tamil Nadu with around 100 seats lying vacant, according to the recent media reports

According to the MP, only 1,141 students had reported to colleges for 1,969 seats for DM/M.Ch. courses in AP. Petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court, seeking more time to fill vacant seats. Dr T. Senthil Nathan, a Chennai petitioner aspirant, said “Advocate Kapil Sibal argued for mop-up counselling for private colleges. In the mop-up counselling, only students who did not get seats in the first two rounds can participate.” Vacancies have arisen, as many candidates blocked seats, but did not join, he added.

Telangana state aspirants have approached the Directorate General of Health Services, to conduct counselling or to assign the job to Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences and Dr NTR University of Health Sciences. Dr G. Srinivas a super specialty aspirant, said he had missed the second counselling, as he had opted for DM clinical pharmacology which had four seats. “Four students opted for the course, but only one joined. The other three seats are vacant.”

Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences, Vice-Chancellor ,Dr Karunakar Reddy was also in favour of the third round of counselling. “It is very painful if so many seats are lying vacant when there is high demand for super-specialists, ”Mr. Reddy said. He pointed out that super-specialists ratio as against the population was quite low in India reports Deccan Chronicle.

Meanwhile, a 100 super speciality seats will also remain vacant in state-run colleges of Tamil Nadu for the year 2017. This is the result of the SC declining to extend the admission deadline beyond September 14.

8 of the 22 state-run colleges in Tamil Nadu have super specialty courses.

Of the 99 seats vacant - 53 are in Madras Medical College, 14 in Kilpauk Medical College, 11 in Stanley Medical College, 9 in Madurai Medical College, 5 in Thanjavur Medical College, 6 in Tirunelveli Medical College and 1 in Chengalpet Medical College reports TPO.

"We have lost 15 seats each in cardiothoracic surgery and plastic surgery seats, a dozen seats each in paediatric surgery and neurology besides other seats," state Selection Committee Secretary, Dr G Selvarajan told the daily.

On Friday, a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India, Deepak Misra while speaking on the extension issue concluded, "Weighing both the concepts in a balanced manner, we unhesitatingly come to the conclusion that the prayers made in the interlocutory applications do not deserve any acceptance and, accordingly, they stand rejected,"

There are 1,011 super specialty seats in the country.

The counselling process for seats which began on August 9 was scheduled to be completed by August 29. According to the DGHS, the plan went into a disarray as the process was stayed at least by two high courts.

Super specialty courses say senior academicians are too precious to be left vacant. "Not all medical colleges have these courses. It is permitted only if colleges have an adequate number of patients, teaching faculty and the required infrastructure such as diagnostic equipment and theatres.Hopefully, this problem will be solved next year," Dr J S N Murthy , former Vice Chancellor of Sri Ramachandra University told TOI.