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| Minister failed to keep his word on increase in MBBS seats | | Bird in hand not worth two in bush | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, June 27: More than 22,000 aspirants have appeared across Jammu and Kashmir in the combined entrance test (CET) conducted by the board of professional entrance examinations (BOPEE) this year.
Passing the CET is not an easy task because every year thousands of candidates attend coaching courses both inside and outside the state to find a place in the CET select list. Undoubtedly, it is still the MBBS course for which the competition is fiercely fought. The fortunate ones make it to the select list and then ultimately the state's healthcare facilities including various super specialty hospitals, provincial, district and village level dispensaries are manned by these candidates.
It must be said to the credit of the BOPEE that selections and merits are very efficiently, transparently and without even a shade of doubt worked out by it. Last year, BOPEE declared the result within a record period after the candidates appeared in the competitions. This year the BOPEE plans to announce the results within just three days. The tests were held across the state on Saturday and Sunday which means the results should be available by the middle of this week.
And, given the BOPEE past record, it is expected it would meet the deadline successfully. Ironically, the good news ends there. The bad news is that these competitions are being looked upon and treated most casually by the state government. Total number of MBBS seats available to the aspirants this year is 300 with the break up of 100 each for GMC Jammu and GMC Srinagar, 50 for SKIMS medical college Srinagar and 50 for ASCOMS Jammu.
It is surprising that despite a public announcement by the state minister for medical education made on the annual day function of SKIMS medical college Srinagar that the number of MBBS seats across the state would be doubled from the existing 100 to 200 in both GMC Jammu and GMC Srinagar from the current session has been another unfulfilled promise.
It is amply evident that the number of seats in GMC Jammu and GMC Srinagar for the current session as notified by BOPEE is still 100 each. Minister has to do some plain talking and that also in the public domain to explain why he did not keep his promise of doubling the MBBS seats this session?
Highly placed sources told Early Times that the Medical Council of India (MCI) has already inspected both GMC Jammu and GMC Srinagar to determine the feasibility of increasing the number of seats in these colleges. "Some deficiencies were pointed out by the MCI while inspecting GMC Jammu. These were promptly addressed by GMC Jammu authorities and the MCI has since also conducted a compliance inspection. During the compliance inspection, the MCI inspectors indicated that the demand for increase in number of seats was justified and would meet a favourable consideration from the MCI during the current session itself", sources in the civil secretariat said. Ironically, after the first inspection by the MCI authorities, the GMC Srinagar did not do anything to address the deficiencies pointed doubt by the MCI team. Instead, the GMC Srinagar principal passed on the buck to the civil secretariat through a missive which said the MCI was unlikely to increase the number of seats in the college.
The GMC Srinagar authorities did nothing to have the deficiencies addressed and then ask for a compliance inspection by the MCI as was done in case of GMC Jammu. It is reliably learnt that the case for increase in the number of MBBS seats in GMC Jammu stands already cleared by the MCI, but the authorities in GMC Srinagar did not address the deficiencies pointed out by the MCI team so that a similar increase could be approved by MCI in case of GMC Srinagar also.
The anamoly has forced the government which is now intentionally not pressing for MCI notification for GMC Jammu. "The government believes announcing increase in the number of seats in GMC Jammu and not making a similar announcement in case of GMC Srinagar could result in another summer unrest as the separatists would exploit the issue claiming another discrimination against the Valley", sources said.
Those advocating that the increase in case of GMC Jammu must wait till it is also made in case of GMC Srinagar interestingly forget that any increase in the number of MBBS seats whether in Jammu or in Srinagar would benefit both those living in the Jammu region and the Valley since selections for MBBS courses are made by BOPEE at a state level and not at the provincial level. |
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