AP: Medical University raises bond amount to 3 lakhs to prevent seats from falling vacant

Hyderabad: The Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences(KNRUHS), which is conducting counselling for Telangana in an effort to dissuade students from leaving medical and dental courses halfway, has increased the student bond money from Rs.1 lakh to Rs. 3 lakhs. The sum is being demanded as an assurance that the students will see the course to its end.

According to education officials, 50% of dental and 60 medical seats are blocked every year and converted into management seats after students fall out of their respective courses. On the other hand, the same is not the case with government colleges, where seats continue to lie vacant once students leave, as convenor seats cannot be converted into other category seats.

The varsity is now demanding a bond of Rs 3 lakh from students as an assurance that they will complete the course. According to officials, every year, 50% of the dental seats and, on an average, about 60 medical seats are blocked by students, only to be later converted into management quota, as they drop out. Meanwhile, in government colleges, these seats remain vacant as there is no provision of converting convenor quota seats into seats of other categories.

"We have observed that students are allotted seats and then they drop out. This is depriving other meritorious students of seats. Last year, out of 300 seats in BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) courses in the state, nearly 180 students did not join college even after the classes started," said Vice-Chancellor, KNRUHS, Dr. B Karunakar Reddy. 16 of the 100 dental seats at the Government Dental College too remained vacant last year due to the same reason, he added.

Explaining the reason for raising bond fee Dr. Reddy said that a similar problem was being faced by them with post graduate seats.

"After the last phase of counselling, about 30 PG students paid '5 lakh each and left the course mid-way . So now, those deciding to opt out of the medical or dental degree course after securing an admission, will have to personally come and explain to the varsity their reasons for not continuing with the course. Only if the varsity is satisfied with the reason, can the students opt out," Dr. Reddy revealed.

On the other hand university officials it is alleged are making neat sums for their respective universities, by taking on students who they know have got admissions in other states, and making them leave a day or two before the deadline, in order to convert these vacant seats into management quota seats and make money.

There is a feeling among college authorities that increasing bond amounts will not make any difference, as candidates who are willing to pay 1 lakh, will not hesitate to pay three times more.

"I don't see how this is going to make any difference. The varsity is just taking money from students and doing business. Moreover, if someone feels that the managements of medical and dental colleges are using students to block seats, this bond amount will not be enough to prevent such practices as it is much less than what these colleges can rake in by converting these seats into other categories," said Lakshmi Narasimha Rao, President, Telangana Private Medical College Association, reports TOI.