MD, MS, MDS dropouts to face severe action, penalty in Jammu and Kashmir

Srinagar: Authorities in various post graduate medical and dental colleges in J& K have decided to take severe action against students who fall out of post graduate courses. They are planning to bar the dropout for three years and impose a fine as well. This decision has been taken in view of the financial losses incurred by the college, when a student drops out. This also comes in light of a Supreme Court ruling that does not allow a college to fill a vacant seat in case of a drop out, after the due date of admission.

Senior Officials of the Board of Professional Entrance Examinations (BOPEE) and State Medical Colleges held a meeting recently, to plan a course of action, to prevent loss of seats to the state, in case a student leaves midway without completing it or does not join it, after opting for it, at the time of admission.

The meeting was attended by Principals of State Medical Colleges, including GMCs of Srinagar and Jammu, as well as, Dental Colleges. MD/MS/MDS admissions were discussed at this meeting and a serious view taken of the drop out problem after selection.

While BOPEE, Chairman, Muhammad Ashraf Bukhari said, “Loss of PG seats because of indecisiveness of candidates was a concern”, GMC Srinagar’s, Dr Kaiser Ahmed said the Supreme Court ruling “Debars us from filling up a vacant seat after the last date of admission.” “It (ruling) makes it impossible for us to admit a candidate-in-waiting list against a vacant seat. Not just does the institution suffers loss of manpower for three years because a candidate is not able to make up his or her mind, but it is also a huge loss to state exchequer,” he said. “In a private college, a PG seat would cost around a crore.”

13 PG candidates, dropped out of their courses at Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar last year, resulted in 15 percent PG seats “getting wasted”. According to official sources, a similar trend has been noticed in other medical colleges, as well.The members at this meeting finally came to the conclusion that dropouts were to be barred for three years from taking on any other PG course in any other college, and a fine running into a few lakhs be imposed on them in order to deter them from behaving in this manner.

Mr. Bhukari said that all medical institutions were together on this decision, which will now be forwarded to the government. “We are expecting a policy decision soon on this grave matter and we are ready to implement those decisions,” he said.

Mr. Bukhari pointed out at an SRO already in place barring students from future admissions in PG courses since 2005. However there were issues in its implementation he added.

“We have requested the medical and dental colleges to furnish the details of all the candidates who have dropped out. We will take action based on the information that is furnished to us,” he said.

Reportedly, BOPEE has already initiated action against some candidates who have dropped out of courses last year. “Last year, because some candidates could not make up their mind well we suffered a colossal loss because of their dropping out,” said the GMC Principal. He said that various recommendations to curb the practice of dropping out had been made and include “fine of Rs 10 lakh and barring students for three years from appearing in competitive exam of medical PG”.

BOPEE Administrators and medical college authorities said that efforts were being made to help the candidate make informed choices for courses. “We have put up the seat matrix on the website. Plus the candidate gets days altogether to make a choice and change it, before the last date, or locking the form,” Chairman BOPEE said. Principal GMC, Srinagar, spoke of the need for students to be more focused about their preferences

Meanwhile, aspirants have been voicing concern about the “New process” of PG admissions of state medical and dental colleges that recently came under the ambit of all-India NEET for medical/dental PG courses. “The whole process is entirely new and alien to us. Instead of showing compassionate attitude towards us, the authorities are making new rules to confuse the candidates further,” alleged medico aspirants to Greater Kashmir.