Karnataka orders 17 medical colleges to surrender MBBS seats amid seat blocking scandal

The move is expected to enhance transparency in the medical education sector and ensure that seats are allocated fairly to deserving candidates, thereby maintaining the integrity of the admission process in Karnataka

PRAVASISAMWAD.COM

In a significant development, the Directorate of Medical Education (DME) in Karnataka has directed 17 private medical colleges to surrender a total of 212 MBBS seats from their NRI quota to the state government quota for the upcoming academic year. This directive follows a Karnataka High Court order issued on April 25, 2023, in response to the seat-blocking scandal that came to light in 2018.

Back in 2018, several colleges were implicated in unethical practices where students obtained MBBS seats through illicit means, commonly known as “seat blocking.” When the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) took action against these students by refusing to approve their admissions and barring them from writing exams, the affected students sought relief through the courts.

• In compliance with the court’s order, the medical colleges are required to submit an undertaking guaranteeing transparency and fairness in their admission processes

• The colleges must commit to admitting students strictly based on merit and refrain from engaging in any form of seat blocking or manipulation

• Failure to adhere to these directives will result in punitive actions, including a further reduction in their seat allocation

While the court eventually allowed the students to take their exams, it decided to impose penalties on the colleges involved by ordering them to surrender an equal number of NRI quota seats to the state quota in the following academic year.

The current directive from the DME mandates that these 212 seats be added to the state’s seat matrix, which is yet to be announced. The DME has also urged the National Medical Commission (NMC) to ensure that these seats are excluded from the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) counselling process and transferred to the state government’s seat matrix.

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