PG Medical Admission in Telangana: Aspirants concerned over vanished seats reserved for PWD candidates

Hyderabad: Disabled postgraduate medical aspirants in Telangana are worried over the fact that more than half of the seats reserved for physically-challenged students in the first phase of counselling are missing in the second phase.

This is the situation when only two students under PWD quota secured their admission in the first phase of counselling. While the students have tried reaching out to Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences (KNRUHS), they have not been successful yet.

KNRUHS released the seat matrix for the first phase of counselling last week. As per the data released by the University, around 21 seats were reserved for the disabled students in general medicine, paediatrics, anaesthesia, general surgery etc in private and government colleges like Osmania Medical College (OMC), NIMS, Prathima, Mediciti, Mamatha and others.

In case of NIMS, only two seats (one in general medicine and another seat in radiology) had been allotted for the PWD quota candidates.

Also Read: Doubt on Disability Percentage: Bombay HC denies relief to BDS aspirant

s per the latest media report by the New Indian Express, after the university issued the seat matrix for the second phase of counselling, the students were shocked to find out that most of the reserved seats were missing from the seat matrix. 

Whole commenting on this, a disabled student wishing to pursue PG dermatology or ophthalmology in OMC told the daily, "The university issued the second phase seat matrix late on Friday." However, the student found that both these seats were unavailable in the matrix. After checking, the student found that PWD seats belonging to other specialties were also missing from the seat matrix.

In the second phase counselling, only eight seats including two for anaesthesia in NIMS and Prathima, one for general surgery in MNRS, one for Orthology in Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, one gynaecology in OMC and two in KMC (gynaecology and paediatrics) and two in Mamata Medical College (psychiatrist and ophthalmology) were available in the seat matrix.

Referring to this, the student said, "We had time to fill the form for the second phase from 8 am on Saturday to 1 pm on Sunday," the student said. He tried reaching the KNRUHS but to no avail. "I tried on Monday as well. However, the phone was either switched off or busy."

Similar complaints have been raised by two other disabled PG aspirants who wished to pursue branches like radiology and dermatology. Meanwhile, not finding the seats of their choice, these students opted for the available seats and only five disabled students secured admission under the seats reserved for them. In the first phase of counselling, they could not fill the form because of the high NEET PG cut off and later they became eligible for the second round.

Also Read: MBBS Admission: Bombay HC orders medical re-examination of student with locomotor disability