Karnataka : Private colleges refuse Govt proposal for common counselling

Bengaluru: The Central Government’s attempt to hold a common counselling session for all categories of medical aspirants doesn’t seem to be taking off the ground, as private minority and deemed universities are clearly not wanting to go along with this proposition. The central government's notice asking state governments to conduct common counselling for available MBBS and dental seats has met with a flat refusal from private colleges, deemed universities as well as minority medical colleges

The Karnataka Minister for Medical Education, Dr Sharan Prakash Patil who met the concerned colleges regarding the issue on Wednesday, met with stiff opposition. The logic given being that 40% seats in all private colleges had been given away to the government, if counselling was also to be handed over to it, the relevance of private managements running their institutions would be lost.

However, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare notice stated that states should have combined counselling for medical and dental admissions.

The situation as it now surfaces in the face of private college refusal is that the CBSE would be counselling for the All India quota, private medical college seats would be filled through COMED-K and deemed as well as minority medical colleges will be conducting a separate counselling session.

Despite private college protests against common counselling, Mr. Patil reiterated the government’s stand of ensuring transparency in the counselling and fee collection procedures of private institutions.

“Reservations will not be applicable in the counselling for admission to private medical and dental colleges in the state “ A S Srikanth, Chief Executive Officer, COMED-K told Deccan Herald.

The present distribution as it stands 40% of available seats go to the government; of the remaining 40% are in the general category and will be given to NEET merit students and 20% seats are to stay with the management quota.