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Bengaluru: In a rare instance that has baffled the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA), 40 government-quota MBBS seats have fallen vacant after two rounds of counselling and are up for grabs in the mop-up round this year. Usually, a handful of government-quota seats remains unfilled every year.
The vacant government-quota seats include 19 in the general-merit category and three in Hyderabad-Karnataka category. KEA says it has never seen so many general-merit seats in the mop-up round.
The general-merit seats in this round include one each in Bangalore Medical College and KIMS (both colleges in Bengaluru), two in Mysore Medical College and three in ESI MC, Bengaluru.
Besides the 40 government-quota seats, one special category, 482 private quota, 670 NRI and 159 others (management quota) seats are available in the mop-up round.
“Usually, the number of government-quota seats in mop up rounds is a handful. However, this time it is as high as 40. Seats in the top colleges are also lying vacant. We had a meeting with the government on this and have decided to allow students who have reported to colleges also to participate in the mop-up round,” said KEA executive director Ramya S.
“There might be meritorious students who wish to get into top colleges. The seats should go to the deserved,” she said. As per a KEA notification on Thursday, all students – including those who have been allotted a medical seat and reported to colleges in the first two rounds of counselling and those who have been allotted seats in UGNEET but have not paid fees and reported to colleges – can participate in the mop-up round.
Fresh option entry will be allowed for all participating candidates. They should make a caution deposit of Rs 1 lakh. The candidate should compulsorily join the allotted college.
However, the student community slammed the KEA decision. “Mop-up rounds are for borderline rank students who might get a last chance to secure a seat. With students who have already got seats being allowed to enter the race, it is unfair for these students,” said a parent. “This is like restarting the counselling process from scratch,” a student said.
However, KEA said, “By Tuesday evening, we will see how many students (who have already reported to colleges) want to again participate in the mop-up round. We will issue a separate list of seats that might come into the pool in case these students give up their seat for an upgrade. Thus, the number of seats will remain the same in the pool,” said Ramya.
KEA said it is yet to analyse why such high vacancies have come up. Experts said that it is because the all-India rounds and state rounds are not in sync.
“This time, Medical Counselling Committee has said all rounds have to be online. Additionally, the leftover seats from counselling are to be filled by KEA, not college managements. All these could have resulted in a higher number of vacant seats,” said a medical college faculty member.
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