Telangana NEET PG candidates in dilemma due to counselling delay
Hyderabad: The postgraduate medical aspirants are in a dilemma about their future, as the Telangana Government has not commenced the State counselling process for the National Eligibility Entrance Test Postgraduate (NEET PG), even though the Medical Counselling Committee's (MCC) All India Quota (AIQ) Round 1 resignation window closed on December 3.
On December 4, the Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences (KNRUHS), which is responsible for conducting counselling in Telangana, published a final merit list of over 3,100 eligible candidates. Despite this, the State's counselling schedule remains on hold.
As per the latest media report by the Times of India, officials have said that they are waiting for legal advice on the recent orders passed by the Court, and it is expected that the final list of eligible candidates will be published on Wednesday morning. Commenting on the matter, the Registrar of KNRUHS, Dr. Nagarjuna Reddy, said, "There are two court cases, and we have received the judgments. The final list of eligible candidates will be released either on Monday or Tuesday."
Under the existing rules, half of the NEET PG seats are filled through AIQ counselling conducted by MCC, while the other half are filled through respective State counselling authorities.
With no clarity regarding the commencement of State counselling in Telangana, more than 3,000 MBBS graduates, who wish to transfer from All India Quota seats to their preferred State colleges, such as NIMS or Osmania Medical College, are uncertain of their future. The students have pointed out that they cannot resign or collect their original certificates without getting any clarity regarding the State Counselling process in Telangana. While this is the situation in Telangana, States such as Andhra Pradesh have already started counselling and are expected to finish the process soon.
Amid this situation, the PG medical aspirants in Telangana are worried of missing out on better places as both the AIQ Round 2 process and counselling in other States move ahead. It has also been pointed out by the aspirants that while the Round 1 counselling for the All India Quota seats commenced two weeks ago, Round 2 counselling has already commenced.
Commenting on the matter, a student with an All India Rank (AIR) just above 6,000 and a candidate securing a State rank above 200 told TOI, "Usually, the state counselling runs alongside the all-India process so that we can choose between national and state seats. This is not a problem in other states, such as Andhra Pradesh, which has already started counselling. The seat matrix, which should show college-wise vacancies and reservation details, has also not yet been released. We have no idea how many seats are available in each college or in which category. Without this information, we have no flexibility and cannot decide where to apply."
While one student explained how the delay is a matter of concern, particularly for those relying on the State quota seats, another student, having an All India Rank just above 5,000 and a State rank under 200 added, "Since postgraduate places are already limited, particularly across different departments, students with high rankings expect clarity so they can secure places at good institutions. As a result, students from Telangana are at a disadvantage compared to those from other states, who have already completed the first round of processes. Without the seat matrix and counselling schedule, Telangana candidates cannot make informed decisions during the All India rounds."
The students also stressed that the delay is linked to ongoing court cases relating to local status, as well as to recent controversies at KNRUHS, including the resignation of the vice-chancellor.
According to the students, no schedule for counselling has been provided even though the State authorities had earlier assured to commence the counselling within a week.
Amid this situation, the students are urging the State Government and University officials to expedite the counselling process to prevent a loss of opportunities for Telangana and All India Quota candidates alike.
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