MBBS aspirants sore over recounselling

The parents of the aspiring candidates from Punjab raised a hue and cry and demanded that the domicile certificates of those figuring in both the lists be checked and if it was proved that they had obtained domicile certificate of both Punjab and Haryana, their candidature be cancelled. They argued that if these candidates were admitted to medical colleges in Punjab, it would affect the prospects of the genuine and deserving candidates from Punjab.

The authorities, however, instead of keeping in abeyance the cases of the candidates figuring in the two lists, decided to scrap the entire interviews and announced that a recounselling session would be held for the open category seats on July 20 and for reserved category seats on July 21.

Meanwhile, the parents of candidates were asked to furnish fresh affidavits stating that neither the deponents nor the ward of the deponent had obtained the benefit of residence in any other state than Punjab. They were also directed to file an affidavit that they had not applied for admission to MBBS in any other college in the country and that they were residents of Punjab.

A number of parents contacted by ENS here today said that the selection committee should have kept pending the cases of the candidates figuring in both Punjab and Haryana lists and not called all of them for recounselling. So far as the fresh affidavits were required, the candidates should have been told to furnish these at the time of depositing the fee and medical examination.

Ravinderpal Kaur, principal of Government Medical College who is also chairperson of the selection committee, maintained that the decision to hold recounselling had been taken at the government level while the decision to ask for fresh affidavits had been taken by the Medical Education Department.

She maintained that there was complete transparency in the matter of allocation of stations. Options of candidates for the choice of stations were also obtained in writing and everything was in black and white.

Regarding complaints that the government had after the publication of the prospectus changed 12 general category seats into NRI seats, she said it was a decision taken at the government level and she could not comment on it. In fact, the prospectus has no mention of NRI seats.

Certain parents complained that though the prospectus had mention of seats in Guru Ram Dass Medical College seats, no counselling for these seats was held.

The chairperson of the selection committee clarified that the Medical Council of India had withdrawn affiliation to the said college on account of certain deficiencies there and as such no admissions were being made for that college.