Vijayawada, June 14: Notwithstanding the weightage given to the Intermediate marks while awarding the ranks in Eamcet, the medical council of India (MCI) has set 50 per cent marks in both the examinations as minimum qualifying marks for admission into the medical colleges. As per the latest directive from MCI, the student should have secured marks not below than 50 per cent in Intermediate and also in Eamcet to get an admission into the medical stream through any route.
Though the rule was implemented last year too, ambiguity arose among the students
only this year as the Eamcet ranks are being awarded after giving 25 per cent weightage to the Intermediate marks. Students are under the impression that mere eligibility in the Eamcet and 50 per cent marks in Intermediate will suffice to get a medicine seat.
“But this is not correct. We would like to clarify to one and all that the students who secured not less than 50 per cent separately in both the qualifying examinations only would be eligible for getting the admission,” NTR University of Health Sciences registrar T Venugopal Rao told TOI.
In a latest move, the state government has directed the university to first fill 15 per cent of seats under the open category (both local and non-local) before taking up the admissions into seats reserved for local category (85 per cent). The registrar clarified that the decision was taken following the representations given by student associations. In all, there would be around 4,300 seats to be filled in 32 medical and 21 dental colleges – both government and private, minority – in the state.
Meanwhile, the university authorities are waiting for a communication from the MCI on grant of seats for Rajeev Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) at Ongole, a new college. About 100 seats are expected to be granted in the first phase. In addition, the MCI had already agreed to increase the intake for Ashram college, Eluru, from 100 to 150. Though the Santhiram College of Nandyal got permission last year itself, the admissions were not allowed as they secured the permission after completion of the counselling. So, about 100 seats from this college would also form part of the intake for this year.
In all, according to university authorities, about 250 seats would be added to the last year’s tally of 4,050. The university authorities are gearing up to begin the counselling from first week of July and finish them by the end of that month. “We want to commence the academic year from August 1 at any cost,” said Venugopal Rao.
He, however, said that the second phase of counselling for those seats which were unfilled and newly added by that time, would be taken up before 31, August 31 and that the admission process would be completed by September 1. He said that they were not allowed to take up admission beyond September as per the Supreme Court directive.
–Agencies–