Justice J M James insists on NEET for NRIs

Thiruvananthapuram: The Admission Supervisory Committee (ASC), headed by Justice J.M. James, has warned self-financing medical and dental colleges of action if they do not follow NEET rank list inter se merit in NRI admissions. Violations of directions of the ASC as well as the courts will attract action against erring colleges, the committee said in a letter sent to colleges on the eve of its hearing on Tuesday to consider complaints of irregularities filed by students and parents.

The committee said it was concerned that some of the medical colleges had not yet properly published information relating to online application, the list on steps taken by medical colleges to rectify mistakes by applicants, the list of eligible candidates with details, the list of rejected candidates with reasons and rank lists after counseling process. The committee asked colleges to publish the vacancy position/waiting list of applicants to be admitted in the medical and dental college in the event of transfer, shifting or non-joining by candidates. Norms insist that medical and dental colleges fill up remaining vacancies only from the wait list as per the inter se merit and not through spot admissions from outside the wait list.

Meanwhile, ASC is hearing on Tuesday representatives of 16 self-financing medical colleges to consider the 629 complaints filed by students and parents in MBBS admissions. Justice James said that the hearing would take place at the committee’s office in Thiruvananthapuram. He said that a decision on fees already paid by students would be taken after scrutinizing documents. He sought to dispel the notion that there were no rules governing the NRI admissions. “NRI admissions in medical/dental colleges shall be by maintaining the inter se merit of the applicants from the NEET rank list alone, basing on the judgment dated.