PMET 2016 admission to begin despite protests: BFUHS vice-chancellor issues clarification later

Punjab: Even though a petition cancelling PMET 2016 has been filed in the high court, Faridkot’s Baba Farid University of Health Sciences is reported to have started the admission process for medical courses now. The hearing in the court is still pending on the matter; however, the university is all set to admit students for the MBBS and BDS courses. The medical aspirants can make an online submission of their preferred course and college, starting from July 6 till July 11.

BFUHS earlier received a notice by the state HC, after a petition was filed in the court against PMET 2016. The petition seeks to cancel PMET. The court is seeking a reply from the university by July 11.

Parents of the candidates are thinking to file a fresh petition in HC. They are seeking a stay on the counseling. Besides, they also want a revision of the procedure which the university followed to finalise the results.

Sunita Madan, mother of a PMET-pass candidate, told HT that they couldn’t file the petition on Tuesday due to lawyers’ strike in the high court. “We will file it on Wednesday. We want transparency,” she said. She said the method adopted by the varsity to calculate percentile was in contravention with the standard formula.

The varsity’s public notice implies that this procedure is to admit students in the state quota for medical courses in GMCs. It does not include admissions for NRI quota in GMCs. It is also for admission under 50% government quota seats in private medical colleges. Neet is the entrance test for aspirants seeking admission through management quota in private medical colleges. The counseling for the remaining seats will be conducted once Neet results are announced. NRI quota admissions will be conducted through a separate test on August 9. Also, admission under 15% all-India quota medical seats will be done through central counseling.

Ashok Sharma, counsel for the petitioners seeking quashing of the PMET, said he will seek a stay on the counselling process. “Its announcement is inappropriate because students’ grievances have not yet been redressed,” Sharma said. LESS MBBS SEATS IN PRIVATE COLLEGES Although the varsity has asked over 3,000 candidates (those who passed the PMET-2016) to list preference for colleges, seats available in the private colleges have come down.

Punjab Institute of Medical Science (PIMS), Jalandhar, and Chintpurni Medical College and Hospital, Pathankot, are out of consideration as the institutes have been denied permission to admit MBBS students.

The Centre has, at least, increased 50 MBBS seats at the Amritsar’s Government Medical College. The number of seats available for MBBS and BDS courses will be known after their allocation on July 15.

Clarification from BFUHS

BFUHS has now issued a clarification the varsity has only sought preference for colleges from candidates who have cleared PMET 2016. The remaining procedure, which includes seat allotments and depositing fees, will be notified later. This has been stated in a public notice on the university’s website.

BFUHS vice-chancellor (V-C) Dr Raj Bahadur said the last date for receiving the preferences will also be decided later. “Right now the candidates only need to send in the choice of colleges,” he said.

In an earlier intimation, the university had communicated July 11 as the last date, with allotment list to be shared by July 15. A deadline for submission of fees was also set by July 22.

Raj Bahadur s implied earlier that the counseling timing was listed on the website to be in sync with what has been shared on the prospectus. “

When the prospectus was printed, we were not aware that the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET)-2016 would take place in two phases. Now, we have to take into account NEET-2, which is taking place on July 24, and the university is bound to factor in that several candidates who have appeared for the PMET will also appear for the NEET-2,” as he told to the media