Tamil Nadu PG medical, dental admissioms NEET based

Chennai: The flurry regarding admissions to post graduate medical and dental seats in Tamil Nadu seems to be settling down .There is information that the Tamil Nadu Directorate, Medical Education will soon be calling for applications to its more than 2,000 postgraduate medical and dental seats for admission, through counselling based on National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) scores.

This, despite the two legislative bills lying with the President for his approval. The Selection Committee will be conducting the counselling session in April, for government college seats and management quota seats in private colleges and deemed universities. If the process of National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) based counselling is successfully undertaken in Tamil Nadu, then the state will have bowed to common entrance for medical and dental admissions.

The state health department officials have held meetings to discuss procedure and legality of the process.

The Supreme Court made NEET mandatory for admission to medical and dental courses in 2016. The legislative bills passed by the Tamil Nadu assembly asking for exemption from NEET, cannot become law without presidential assent. This would call for the Ministries of HRD, health and law giving their recommendations.

"We have not heard from them. PG admissions have to begin at least in April first week and end by May...We are yet to call for applications. We will wait for MBBS, but PG admissions must start now," a senior official, requesting anonymity told the TOI.

Tamil Nadu hopes to get exemption for UG admissions, though legal experts have opined that it may not become reality this year.

State Selection Committee, Secretary, Dr G Selvarajan said: "We are still discussing the protocol for admission. There will be an announcement next week."

According to sources, three counselling sessions will be held between April and May and three prospectuses issued.