Three waitlisted students get medical seats under 7.5% quota in Phase-II counselling

CHENNAI: During the second phase of medical counselling for government school students under the 7.5 per cent reservation, the Selection Committee allotted seats for three students who were waitlisted in the first phase of counselling, on priority basis as per the Madras High Court orders.

The second phase of counselling that began at Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium  on Monday was delayed by over three hours owing to confusion over allotment of seats on priority basis to students who came with the court order. The Selection Committee will also fill 132 government MBBS seats and 29 BDS seats that were returned by the medical counselling committee following  All India Quota counselling in the second phase of counselling.

The Selection Committee had called 778 candidates for counselling to fill 47 seats, and 394 attended the session. A total of 47 government school students were allotted seats under the quota. Among the 47, a total of 23 MBBS seats — 12 in government colleges and 11 in self- financing colleges — were allotted. Four BDS seats in government dental colleges and 20 in self-financing dental colleges were allotted.

With the 47 seats, a total of 446 government school students were benefitted by the 7.5 per cent reservation in the State. In the first phase of counselling in November, a total of 399 students joined MBBS and BDS courses under the quota.

Meanwhile, the Committee also added 250 medical seats in the second phase of  counselling, 100 from PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Coimbatore, and 150 from Sri Muthukumaran Medical College, Chennai, after receiving an approval.

The three government school students, who came with court order, were given the government quota seat in self-financing colleges. The court had directed the government to consider giving priority to students who were waitlisted during the first phase of counselling. The students didn’t take the seat in the self-financing colleges as they could not afford the fees.

They moved the court after the government announced that it will take care of the education expenses of the government school students who were allotted seats under the quota. Meanwhile on Monday, many parents of the waitlisted students were agitated as they had to wait for long to know whether they would get a seat or not.