Scrapping of PG Diploma Seats and conversion into PG Medical Degree: State of Kerala in a Fix

Thiruvananthapuram: The move to scrap PG diploma has put Kerala state into a fix. Though the state had submitted a proposal for surrendering Post-Graduate diploma seats in lieu of increasing the seats in PG medical degree courses (MD and MS); it now has decided not to take the converted seats.

The state government’s stand for the same is that there is 50 per cent reservation in PG Diploma courses for government doctors, who are serving in rural areas, while the same is not there in case of three-year degree courses. Evidently, this reservation is a big lure for doctors in the state to work in rural and remote area, where no one would want to serve in other circumstances

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However, there is no such reservation in PG degree courses. With the scrapping of PG Diploma seats and switching them to degree seats, government doctors working in various institutions of the state would not have a benefit and/or the incentive of government service. Relying on this stand, the state government is apparently leaning towards reservation. The New Indian Express reports that the state government has now reserved its permission for the decision.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, a senior state health department official pointed out that the state government wants a portion of the PG seats in government medical colleges to be reserved for doctors in government service. "This is one attraction for getting doctors to government service. The state government's stand now is that only if a portion of these seats is reserved for government doctors, they needed to be converted into PG degree seats," he said.

The move however has drawn the ire of "meritorious" candidates, who want immediate conversion and increase in PG Medical Seats. There are allegations that the government is doing it under pressure from government doctors' associations.

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Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that after the last call of conversion was given by the Health Ministry earlier this year, medical colleges across the country applied for conversion of their seats to PG Medical Courses.

Medical Colleges across the country applied for conversion of total 2224 seats out of which the MCI has given nod to conversion of 2120 seats

Read Also: MCI BOG approve conversion of 2120 PG Diploma seats to Degree, Maximum seats with Karnataka