New formula evolved for PG medical admissions

CHENNAI

The Medical Council of India has amended the regulations governing postgraduate medical education, tweaking the formula for quotas. The gazetted amendments were released on April 5. Admission to PG medical courses will henceforth have to abide by these.

The Postgraduate Medical Education (Amendment) Regulations 2018 stipulates that reservation of seats in medical colleges/institutions for the respective categories will be as per the laws in the States and Union territories. Candidates would be admitted based on the all-India merit list, and a separate State merit list of eligible candidates would be prepared on the basis of scores obtained in National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test. (NEET).

Deciding remote areas

According to the notification,the States would surrender 50% of the total seats to the Central pool for admission from across the country. The States can independently determine the rural and remote areas in their State to give marks to candidates who serve in remote and rural areas.

The amendment states: “In determining the merit of candidates who are in the service of government/public authority, weightage in the marks may be given by the Government/Competent Authority as an incentive up to 10 % marks obtained for each year of service in remote and/or difficult areas or rural areas up to maximum of 30% marks obtained in NEET. The remote and/or difficult areas or rural areas shall be as notified by State Government/Competent authority from time to time.”

In non-government medical colleges/institutions, 50% of the seats shall be filled by the State government or the authority appointed by it, and the remaining 50% shall be filled by the medical college on the basis of merit list prepared as per NEET marks.

TNMOA stand

N. Gnanaprakasam, president of Tamil Nadu Medical Officers’ Association said the association stands by 50% reservation in State government seats for in-service candidates.

It is not happy with the MCI’s decision to revoke the quota system in State seats.

Last year the State government constituted a committee headed by P. Umanath, which classified 16 districts in the State as underdeveloped.

Although agreeable to incentives for those working in remote and hilly areas, doctors are demanding that in the rest of the districts the award of incentive be made uniform.

Equal weightage sought

“Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur and Ramanathapuram have been declared as underdeveloped districts and in order to attract doctors to these areas they will be awarded full marks as an incentive. But our demand is that in the event of marks being given as incentive then all other districts should be placed in the same band and the award of incentive marks should be equal,” said secretary J. Kathirvel.

The association has filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the MCI’s decision on the reservation of seats in State quota for in-service government doctors.