COMEDK Shocker: 12 private medical colleges not to share seats under government quota

Karnataka: The trouble seems to be mounting for students in the state only after there was clarity given on Neet. Now, 12 private medical colleges and 24 dental colleges have announced their decision not to share their MBBS and BDS seats under the state government quota. It may be noted after the recent ordinance on Neet, COMEDK was the single entrance admission test for admission in private medical colleges for the state government quota. The management quota seats are still through Neet.

The decision was officially announced by the Karnataka Professional Colleges Foundation (KPCF). This recent development leaves the students only with a choice of admission in medical seats offered in 15 government-run institutes-through the COMEDK.

This decision seems in direct contravention of the announcement made by health minister J P Nadda that government quota seats will be filled in the same way, as earlier in private medical colleges. However, KPCF has implied on the matter that there is no clarity on what exactly government quota is and how much percentage is applied to the reservation of seats under the government quota.

MR Jayaram, secretary of KPCF told reporters that this year NEET will be conducted to fill the MBBS and BDS seats in private colleges and all these developments (SC's direction of conducting NEET and NEET ordinance) have taken place after the consensual agreement was signed between KPCF and the state government to share the seats. "But now since NEET is conducted for private colleges this consensual agreement is invalid," he said.

He said as per the Supreme Court directions 15% seats will be reserved for NRI students. Of the remaining 85% seats, not even a single seat will be shared as government quota in the private colleges.

However, 85% seats (which does not include the NRI quota), half the seats are for the SC/ST and OBC category of students. It will be easier for students under this category to get admissions in around 1,500 medical and 1,600 dental seats offered in the private colleges.

AS Srikanth, chief executive of COMEDK said COMEDK will do the counselling for MBBS and BDS seats in private colleges after the NEET results are out and an oversee committee formed by the state government will monitor it, this will ensure more transparency. "We will follow the fee structure fixed by the Fee Fixation Committee, which is also formed by the government." The committee has already submitted the report to the government.

A surprised Medical Education Minister Dr Sharan Prakash Patil said to Deccan Chronicle, "We signed the consensual agreement only recently. After the private medical and dental colleges requested, we increased the annual fee by 10%. We will take a decision on the Comed-K stand after consulting with the law department."