Clarify Status of 460 MBBS Admissions After September 30 deadline: CENTAC, Puducherry Govt urged

Puducherry: Seeking clarity regarding the future of 460 MBBS students who got admitted to the medical colleges in Puducherry after the September 30 deadline, several students' and parents' forums have raised the issue to the Puducherry Government and the Centralized Admission Committee (CENTAC).

They have urged the authorities to give clarification if they have received the necessary approval from the National Medical Commission (NMC) for the admission of these students after the deadline.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that taking note of the fact that several states are conducting Undergraduate MBBS Counselling beyond the cut-off date, the Apex Medical Commission issued a warning to the stakeholders and reiterated that all MBBS admissions must be completed within September 30 of the concerned academic year.

NMC further clarified that admissions beyond the cut-off date shall be considered invalid. The Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) of NMC also issued a notice and referred to the Supreme Court order dated 18.01.2016, where the Apex Medical Body had approved the time schedule for processing of scheme as well as admission in Undergraduate, Postgraduate as well as Super-Speciality medical and dental Courses, which was framed after consulting all the States/ Union Territories, Govt. Of India and other concerned parties.

This decision by the Apex Medical Commission resulted in uncertainty for hundreds of students in Puducherry who were admitted by CENTAC after September 30, 2023.

Earlier, NMC issued show-cause notices to CENTAC and four colleges, including the government college asking them to explain why action should not be taken against them for conducting the MBBS counselling for 2023 after the deadline i.e. September 30. Issuing the notice on October 20, the Apex Medical Commission had directed the Government to submit a written clarification within 10 days from the receipt of the notice.

Consequently, CENTAC and those four concerned medical institutes submitted their replies to the show-cause notices and urged the Commission to grant an extension of the deadline.

Amid this situation, the Union Health Ministry approached the Apex Court seeking an extension of the last date for admissions to prevent wastage of 'precious' medical seats.

On the basis of the Apex Court's order, MCC on Tuesday announced to conduct a special stray vacancy round to fill up the vacant seats and mentioned in the notice, "All the NEET UG 2023 eligible candidates are hereby informed that to prevent wastage of precious medical seats, MoHFW approached the Hon’ble Supreme Court in Diary No. 45004 of 2023 in W.P (C) No. 76 of 2015 for extension of last date of admission of under graduate courses and to conduct a Special Stray Vacancy Round for the vacant MBBS/ B.D.S/ B.Sc Nursing Seats of AIQ and State Quota. It is pertinent to mention that this Special Stray Vacancy Round will be the last round for under graduate courses for this academic year i.e 2023. The details of the vacant AIQ seats are available on MCC website (www.mcc.nic.in). Candidates may contact state counselling authorities for vacant state quota seats."

The counseling process is divided into central and state counseling. While the central counseling process has begun, and the state counselling begins on 7th Nov. 2023. For both the counseling process, the last date to join is 15th Nov. 2023.

However, as per the latest media report by the Times of India, the Union Ministry and NMC have not taken any decision on the Puducherry Government's plea for granting approval for MBBS admission after the deadline.

Therefore, the representatives of various students' and parents' forums have now urged CENTAC and the Puducherry Government to clarify the matter. They have also questioned if CENTAC will now hold a special stray vacancy round to fill up 460 seats, which have been allotted during the second and third rounds of counselling done after the deadline along with the 11 vacant seats after the third round.

Also Read: MBBS Admissions After September 30th Deadline, 450 students left in lurch