MBBS seat counselling in Bihar: BCECEB allegedly grants top medical colleges to low rank holders

Bihar: Controversy has erupted in Bihar after the MBBS candidates have alleged loopholes in the UG medical admission process wherein low-rank holders are allegedly assigned top medical colleges during the mop-up rounds while at the same time at least 125 eligible candidates were allegedly debarred to take part in the mop-up round. The state health ministry, responding to the media reports on the matter, have now asked the authorities to submit phase-wise details of NEET-UG 2019 counselling

The Indian Express reported that the MBBS students have complained this “non-transparent” counselling by Bihar Combined Entrance Competitive Examination Board (BCECEB) has forced at least 125 candidates with better state ranks to remain content with colleges they were allotted in the first two rounds.

Several aggrieved students, who spoke to the daily, sought to know the “consideration” of allowing low rankers to get admitted in better colleges and leaving more deserving ones “agonised and frustrated” with their admission in lower-ranked colleges.

Also Read: Bihar has less MBBS Seats, Medical Colleges as compared to other states: Health Minister Pandey

It has been reported that in one case, All India Rank, 14371 (AIR), NEET-UG 2019 and 981 Bihar rank holder, got the state’s best college which is Patna Medical College, in the ‘mop-up’ round of MBBS counselling. She was not allotted any college in the first and second rounds. The seat allotment is made as per Bihar rank.

Her ranking was below the cut-off for the lowest-ranked Bettiah Medical College in the second round, which was 954 in the open category. In the mop-up round though, the cut-off state rank for an MBBS seat was 1224. A boy, with 6871 AIR and 405 (Unreserved) Bihar rank, had to settle for the third-best college in the state which is Nalanda Medical College, adds the Indian Wire

An order was pronounced by the Supreme Court in 2017 restricting the MBBS students, who are already allotted medical colleges after the second round of counselling from attending the mop-up round.

“After the second round of counselling for All India Quota seats, the students who take admission in All India Quota seats, would not be allowed/ permitted to vacate the seats. This would ensure that very few seats are reverted to the state quota and also All India Quota seats are filled by all India merit list only”.

Taking recourse to the order stated in the previous cases by the apex court and others, Bihar state has made it the basis to not allow already admitted MBBS student to take part in the mop-up round despite the order talking only about the All India Quota seats and not for the State Quota seats.

The interpretation of the order by Bihar State and acting accordingly to allot medical colleges during the counselling has led the MBBS students in a murky situation after two such cases ensued, wherein, lower-ranked students have been procured much better medical colleges than the students who secured better ranks yets was excluded from the mop-up round.

Resultantly, at least 125 candidates with much better ranks have been allegedly forced by the Bihar Combined Entrance Competitive Examination Board (BCECEB) to remain satisfied with the colleges they were allotted in the first two rounds.

Aggrieved by the situation, the MBBS students have filed a complaint about the “non-transparent” counselling by BCECE .

Responding to the allegations, BCECE Controller of Examination Arvind Choudhary, told The Indian Express, “We are going by the Supreme Court order and a 2018 state government order. The aggrieved is free to take the legal route.”

Commenting on the issue, Srinivas, Assistant Director-General Medical Education, Director General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, told the daily, “In Bihar, 183 vacant seats before the mop-up round is a huge number. There is a need to have a relook at the SC order and its interpretation. The percentage of mop-up has to be decided. If very low rankers get the best colleges, there will be a clamour. The idea of mop-up was to give others a chance but no cap was fixed for the mop-up cap round. In principle, Bihar looks to follow rules but it is just the big number of available seats that demands re-visiting the system of counselling."

The state has 972 medical seats, however, a total of 183 seats or almost 20% were vacant after two rounds. Of this, 131 were for the unreserved candidates. This implies that at least 100 candidates had to be content with admission in dental colleges for Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) courses, who could have got MBBS seats have they been permitted to participate in the mop-up round of counselling, opening chances of college upgrade.

Meanwhile health department has now sought details form the BCECEB

The Bihar principal secretary, Health, Sanjay Kumar told The Indian Express, “BCECEB had not given phase-wise list to me. I have asked the counselling board to give us phase-wise list with details of students, their social categories and who got which college in all three rounds.