Free Exit option results in huge vacancies: DGHS to tighten MBBS counselling process from next year

Chennai: Taking note of the huge number of vacant MBBS seats, the Medical Counselling Committee, operative under the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) is planning to make it mandatory for MBBS aspirants to take the seats allotted to them from next year.

As per the proposed changes, it will be mandatory for students to join the allotted seats to opt for an upgrade if required. Students who would not join the seats must opt out of the counselling process for the year.

Confirmation regarding this came from the Directorate General of Health Services Dr. Atul Goel, who was in the city to deliver the 36th convocation address of the Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported around 2000 MBBS seats are likely to remain vacant this year due to the mismanagement of the counselling process and violation of MBBS admission guidelines.

Among these, 1500 MBBS seats remained unfilled during the counselling process. Another 600 MBBS admissions might also get cancelled as they were either made after the admission deadline i.e. September 30, or those seats were filled at the institute level, which NMC had earlier barred.

Also Read: 86 MBBS Seats Lying Vacant, Tamil Nadu to move Supreme Court

In Tamil Nadu alone, 86 MBBS seats remain vacant even after the closure of the MBBS admission deadline. Among these 86 MBBS seats, 16 seats belong to the Government-run medical colleges, 3 seats are in All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Madurai, 50 MBBS seats are vacant in Deemed Universities and another 17 seats are vacant in self-financing medical colleges.

Previously, the Tamil Nadu Government wrote to the Central Government to either hold another round of counselling or let the State government fill up the seats. The Health Minister recently informed that the State is planning to move the Supreme Court in this regard.

As per the latest media report by the Times of India, amid this situation, the DGHS Dr. Atul Goel recently informed the Daily that the Union Health Ministry will decide the fate of vacant MBBS seats in 2023 and will make it mandatory for students to take seats allotted to them from the next year.

"Seats are allotted based on choices locked by students and by merit," said Dr. Goel. He further mentioned that allowing students "free exit" ultimately results in huge vacancies and adding penalties has not stopped them from quitting counselling.

"We believe that tightening of the counselling process will bring down vacancies," Dr. Goel further added.

MCC has also proposed conducting simultaneous Central and State counselling to put a stop to seat blocking during both processes. Students allotted seats through one counselling will be allowed upgrade options but will not be allowed to block the seats simultaneously in both counselling. Dr. Goel added that some rationalization of fee structure is also being investigated.

Also Read: Either Unfilled or Cancelled: MBBS vacant seat count may surpass 2000 seats this year