Fierce competition for undergraduate medical seats this academic year was evident as the first round of counselling of the Consortium of Medical, Engineering and Dental Colleges of Karnataka (COMEDK) began here on Thursday. All medical seats under the general merit (GM) category were lapped up on the first day itself.
The counselling was held for those who were assigned ranks after clearing the Undergraduate Entrance Test (UGET) for admissions to private-quota seats in 14 medical, 25 dental and over 160 engineering colleges in the State.
COMEDK said that at the end of day one of the medical and dental counselling, 492 GM medical seats in 12 colleges were selected. At least 270 seats were taken by students from Kerala, COMEDK chief executive A.S. Srikanth said.
As many as 912 students attended the counselling. The first 2,250 rank holders were scheduled to attend the counselling on day one. The counselling for medical and dental seats is expected to end on July 5.
COMEDK had warned of a tough fight for medical seats this year as more than 19 students managed a score of over 170 out of 180, while over 300 obtained a score of over 160. This pushed up the cut-off rank too. In 2013, the cut-off rank for an MBBS seat was 2,995 and the student’s score was 114. This year, a candidate ranked 2,995 has scored 141. The last student who selected a GM seat this year had the rank 1,678.
Fewer seatsMr. Srikanth said this time, 120 seats (60 each) from BGS Global Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangalore, and Shridevi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Hospital, Tumkur, were not in the matrix as both the colleges had not got the Medical Council of India’s nod. Similarly, seats in S. Nijalingappa Medical College and HSK Hospital and Research Centre, Bagalkot, Adichunchanagiri Institute of Medical Sciences, Mandya, and Father Muller Medical College, Mangalore, were fewer this time.
Mr. Srikanth said seats in M.S. Ramaiah Medical College, Bangalore, and Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangalore, were snapped up first.
During the last year’s counselling, 537 MBBS seats were taken. However, last year, candidates were given the option of taking provisional or confirmed allotments as COMEDK had, for the first time, conducted its counselling before that of the Karnataka Examinations Authority. Of the 537 seats, only 313 were confirmed seats. There was no such provision this year.
DentalAs for dental, 27 GM seats were taken on Thursday, while 580 GM seats, 115 seats under the Hyderabad Karnataka quota, 20 seats under the Tulu Minority category and 20 under the Telugu Minority category remain.
