The former Health Minister, who is also the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) senior leader, T. Harish Rao has implored the State government to secure 100% of convenor quota seats for local students in medical colleges and also sought clarity on the status of locals in respect of medical education.
He said on Saturday that there is a necessity to explain about local status regarding admission into medical colleges which are commencing their process in the third week of June. Otherwise, students from Telangana will have heavy losses.
Before Telangana came into existence, twenty medical colleges were set up with a total capacity of 2,850 seats which includes 1,900 under competent authority quota; out of these 1900 seats, 15% or 280 were unreserved category (quota) students and if nothing was done they would lose them. Also Telanganites would be bereft of another 150 post graduate (PG) seats at NIMS and other medical institutions.
However despite its fast approaching UG (MBBS) and PG(MD) course admissions process commencement by Congress Government had paid no attention to this problem. Starting from year 2014 as per the provisions contained in Andhra Pradesh Re-organization Act even AP students have been competing for those reserved for Telangana under a similar percentage. On continuation basis, another loss will amount to additional 520 places within this category among newly established med schools.
He suggested that for this matter to remain within certain limits it is necessary that only pre-statehood era existed medical colleges should maintain such an unreserved quota percentage as fifteen.He noted that according to its amendment orders on admissions into Medical/ Dental Colleges issued earlier within the framework of the A.P.R act and Article 371-D by BRS government all competitive grants only went exclusively to Telangana students in all new entrants after June 2nd,2014.
The Act’s expiry on June 2nd this year will include medical college admissions, hence such steps need to be taken to maintain 100% of the convenor quota seats for Telangana students. It is significant that at the time of State formation in addition to having just 20 colleges with 2,850 MBBS seats; now they are comprised by 56 schools and amounting to 8,340 places, he said.
