Punjab:Arbitrary reduction of MBBS seats, alleges parent

Amritsar:The Government Medical College (GMC), Patiala has been accused of having reduced the sports quota seats of the college in an arbitrary manner. The charge has been made by a local resident, Dr. Sushmainder Kumar. Dr. Kumar alleged that it was due to this arbitrary reduction of seats under the sports quota by the college, that his daughter a medical aspirant and a fifth position holder in the sports category, was unable to secure an MBBS seat in the college.

According to Dr. Kumar, the Government Medical College Patiala holding 200 MBBS seats, had shown 2 seats under the sports quota in their prospectus, whose status had remained the same till Sept, 11. Kumar further alleged that a few days before counselling was to begin, the sports quota, as well as, other category seats were decreased arbitrarily, much against the Punjab Government notification.

According to him the college prospectus speaking of change had however, mentioned that the list of eligible colleges/seats may increase or decrease subject to orders of honorable courts/ MCI/DCI/ governments.

He accused the Patiala Government Medical College of making light of student careers, by changing the count of seats, as per its whims, just before counselling commenced. He also alleged, that the reduction in the stated quotas had resulted in an increase in the general category.

“Decrease in the number of seats in certain reserved categories, including sports, after issuing prospectus, holding the PMET and declaration of results and after the notification is illegal, arbitrary and unsustainable according to the law,” he said.

Dr Raj Bahadur, Vice-Chancellor, Baba Farid University of Medical Sciences and Research, on the other hand, did not express any prevailing mal practice in the GMC- quota distribution. According to him, “The university has conducted counselling for seats as per the roster provided by the GMC, Patiala.”

According to him,to the best of his knowledge, there was nothing wrong with the 'quota distribution' of Government medical College Patiala; as the rooster provided by the college was a calculated representation of the number of seats and quota percentages under various categories.

According to the Principal, Patiala, Government Medical College, Dr BL Bhardwaj, The 1 % quota of seats at the college had been evenly distributed over a span of an year.

“This year we have one seat of the sports quota available with us as per the proportion. The number of seats under the sports quota has been reduced to four out of the total 500 seats in all government medical colleges in Punjab,” he added. He further reiterated that all seats at GMC had been reduced according to norm and calculations and there were no existing malpractices prevailing.