Karnataka: Top-ranking students lose out on MBBS

Bengaluru: Hundreds of medical seat aspirants are upset. Reason: they weren’t able to select MBBS seats in the COMEDK special round of seat allotment counselling held on September 30. Now they want the state government to order an inquiry over the manner in which the counselling was conducted.

Their alleged that COMEDK did not allow the top-ranking students to participate in the counselling, citing the reason that a DD of Rs 5.75 lakh was mandatory, which helped students from lower ranks.

The students said that on September 30, 120 seats were available for selection and all were under the general merit category. As per the documents, the first seat was selected by a student with the COMEDK rank number 1,039. But the 120th seat was allotted to a student with the COMEDK rank of 32,045!

The students said that if the COMEDK officials had allowed them to participate in the counselling by accepting their fees in cash, online DD or e-transfer of the money to the COMEDK amount,  the cut-off would have been much less. “This aspect of the counselling should be probed,” said a student.

According to the students, they came to know about the counselling only after 5 pm on Thursday, September 29. “COMEDK officials were well aware of the fact that September 30 was a holiday in Karnataka and students could not get a DD. It should have allowed the students to pay the fee amount either in the form of cash or e-transfer. Secured technology is available. Several colleges in the city now allow their students to pay fees through their debit cards. Why did COMEDK insist on a DD?” he asked.

Dr Sachchidananda, director of the medical education department said he tried to solve the problem. "But,” he adds quickly, “COMEDK was right in insisting on the DD as it was one of the rules prescribed for the admission procedure.  As two colleges refused permission at the last minute, this confusion arose. When it come to government quota seats we provided as much relaxation as we could to the students. But in the case of COMEDK we cannot do much,” he said.

2 new medical colleges
The controversy began on September 30 when the Consortium of Medical, Engineering and Dental Colleges of Karnataka (COMEDK) conducted a special round of seat allotment counselling for 120 medical seats available in 2 new medical colleges. As per the counselling notification, 60 medical seats available in the Sridevi Institute of Medical Sciences (SIMS), Tumakuru and 60 in Sambhram Institute of Medical Sciences were filled up through this counselling.

Holiday blocked the process
Parents and students were alleging that as September 30 was a holiday in Karnataka they could not get a DD on time. They charged COMEDK with sending counselling intimation very late - on Thursday after 5 pm. “By that time all the banks were closed. On Friday most of the students could not arrange a DD. Because of this, low ranking students were able to secure MBBS seats,” students allege.

No DD, No counselling
On the day of counselling, the state medical education department was flooded with complaints from hundreds of students and parents alleging that COMEDK was not allowing them to participate in the counselling. COMEDK didn't permit these students to participate in the counselling, on the grounds that they didn't provide the required DD of
Rs 5.75 lakh.

Rigid stance
COMEDK is justifying its decision on mandatory DD, saying it is the rule. “September 30 was the last date for medical admissions across the country as per the Supreme Court order. So we conducted the special round on that day,” said a COMEDK officer.