Bengaluru: In a startling move, around six students who were originally selected for MBBS seats at the government-run Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI) have surrendered their seats back to the Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA).
Interestingly, they have selected the same college under the All India quota. Their reason: to avoid the mandatory one-year rural service stint which is compulsory for those students who have selected seats through CET.
This rural service is not mandatory for students who select seats in the government medical colleges under All India quota.
According to the sources at the KEA, these six students were allotted seats at BMCRI in the first round of medical seat allotment. But recently they surrendered their seats. "When we asked those students why they were surrendering government MBBS seats they told us that they had got seats in the same college under the All India quota. The fee is the same for students from both
CET as well as All India quota. But the issue is: different policies adopted by the state government and union government over mandatory rural service," explained an officer from the KEA.
According to the officials, 15% seats available in all the government medical colleges of the state are reserved for All India quota students. "Students who select seats in the government colleges under All India quota need not give an undertaking of compulsory rural service of one year. But if any student selects an MBBS seat through CET, they must provide a bond regarding compulsory rural service. So these meritorious students prefer All India quota seats over CET seats," he informed.
Speaking to this newspaper, Dr. S.S. Harsoor, Director of Medical Education, informed that the state government will raise the issue with the central government. "We will urge the center to make rural service mandatory even for All India quota students," he said. BMCRI director/ dean Dr. Devadass added that such service is mandatory even for All India quota students in neighboring states like Maharastra and Tamil Nadu. "That could be the reason why students in Karnataka prefer All India quota seats over the CET seats,” he said.
