Demand for medical Counselling postponement, till President opinion on TN Bills

Chennai: A demand to postpone Tamil Nadu Medical Counselling to be held on July 17 has been raised by the State Platform for Common School System,Tamil Nadu (SPCSS). The forum on Monday raised this demand till such time that the President’s stance on the bills passed by the assembly,and the response to the reservation policy during the All India Medical Counselling is not made clear.

The Tamil Nadu Admission to MBBS and BDS Courses Act 2017, and the Tamil Nadu Admission to Postgraduate Courses in Medicine and Dentistry Act 2017,passed unanimously by the Tamil Nadu legislative Assembly were sent for the President’s approval in February, this year.

The SPCSS along with Tamil Nadu Student's-Parent Welfare Association and Tamil Nadu Health Development Association, Chennai, which hosted a press conference at ICSA Centre, Egmore, to express their point of view said:

"We don't want the TN government to proceed with the counselling until we receive a reply from the President - whether the bills receive the nod or are rejected is up to the President, but we need to know the answer before going ahead with the counselling," The statement was made by Prince Gajendra Babu, Secretary of the SPCSS.

The groups maintained that there was confusion prevailing with regards to the reservation policy being implemented during the All India quota counselling.

Instead of the term 'open competition', the term 'unreserved category' has been used, Babu said referring to category participation at the forthcoming counselling session.

Explaining open competition further the hosts of the press meet said that seats allotted under open competition were purely merit based.

Reserved category is meant to follow the open competition seats. Once the open competition seats are filled, the reserved category follows, the group members explained.

However, the use of the term 'unreserved category' is understood as participation of those outside reserved categories .

"This could mean people in the community quota are pushed back. We need clarification with regard to the open competition and this clarification has to be sought by the TN government before going ahead with the counselling," explained Gajendra Babu.

A hunger strike over the issue is also being organized by the forum on July 6, reports TOI.