In a significant decision, the Telangana government has revised the guidelines for admission into MBBS and BDS courses reserving 85% of B Category — management quota seats in private medical colleges — seats to local students and the remaining 15% as open quota for which students from across the country could compete. So far, there was no local reservation in this category of seats.
As per the orders issued by the Medical and Health Department in the form of two GOs for unaided minority and non-minority medical colleges, local students would be given 85% of the 35% B Category seats in MBBS and BDS courses in the private medical colleges. This would make available an additional 1,068 MBBS seats to local students in 24 private medical colleges in the State.
According to the officials, there were 20 non-minority and 4 minority private medical colleges in the State with an intake capacity of 3,750. Of the 3,200 seats in the non-minority colleges, 35% seats (1,120) were under Category B (management quota) and they were available to students from across the country till last year.
More opportunities
However, the revision of guidelines issued by the State government would make available 952 out of 1,120 Category B seats or 85% of the total to the students of Telangana. The remaining 15% of the 1,120 seats or a total of 168 would be open quota for which students of other States too could compete along with those from Telangana.
Similarly, 25% (137) of the 550 seats in the minority colleges were being treated as Category B seats so far and the revision of admission guidelines would make 116 (85%) out of 137 seats available to students of Telangana.
There has been no reservation for Telangana students in the management quota seats in private medical colleges in the State so far and due to lack of it most of the 35% Category B seats were being garnered by students from other States.
Other States
Considering that such a scenario was causing loss to the local students, Minister for Health T. Harish Rao had recently called for a report by higher authorities by studying the system being followed in other States. As per the guidelines in vogue in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab and others there was no open quota system at all and all seats were being filled with local students from last year itself.
The situation of lesser availability of Category B seats was forcing students pursue medicines in countries such as China, Russia, Ukraine and others. The change in guidelines for the Category B seats would now make available 1,068 more seats purely to Telangana students.
