In a final attempt to secure seats for their wards in medical and dental colleges in the state, parents have decided to approach the Supreme Court for a ‘conditional’ extension for admissions.
The parents’ decision comes after the SC quashed the state Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER)’s plea for an extension earlier last week. The DMER had sought extension when it came to light that several seats remained vacant in medical and dental courses across the state after the admissions were over on October 7.
While the DMER does not have the exact number of vacancies in private and deemed colleges, Director Pravin Shinghare confirmed that six seats remained vacant in government colleges. No seats are, however, vacant in dental courses in government colleges.
He said the DMER had sought the number of vacancies from private and deemed colleges. “Approximately 25 seats in medical and 200 seats in dental courses are vacant in private colleges,” he said.
It has come to the notice of the DMER that owing to the multiple rounds of allotments, there have been duplications in enrollment in private colleges. Hence, the parents have now decided to plead for a conditional extension early next week. “We will seek the apex court’s permission to reopen admissions to the vacant seats as several candidates with good NEET scores are yet to secure seats,” said Mahendra Choudhuri, one of the parents.
Choudhuri said they would request that the process be opened for only those students who had not secured any seats and allotment be done on the basis of merit only. “Already many private institutes have admitted students who had taken admissions elsewhere but wanted to take a transfer,” said Choudhuri, adding that parents want that allotments be done on merit and not ‘first come, first serve’.
Mita Kamdar, another parent, said, “Though chances of success are bleak, this is our only chance at securing seats or our wards will lose a year.”
While around a dozen volunteers from across the state have come forward to plead to the SC, Choudhuri said many other parents were unwilling of filing a case as they were wary of the expenses to be incurred.
Meanwhile Shinghare said the DMER will support the parents in their plea. “Otherwise many seats may go vacant this year,” said Shinghare.