Hyderabad/ Vijayawada: TS and AP have entered the national pool of the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (Neet), ensuring a massive increase in the number of medical and PG seats that will be available to the students of the two states from the next academic year.
This follows the Centre giving Telangana state and Andhra Pradesh exemption from Article 371D.
Under this scheme, TS contributes 15 per cent of its merit seats in MBBS colleges to the national pool. In return, TS students can avail 15 per cent seats of the national pool. In the case of Telangana state, the number of merit seats will go up from 2,075 in the convener quota to 4,468 nationwide.
The number of PG medical seats will go up from 1.475 to 7.647.
There are a total 3,150 MBBS seats in Telangana state of which 2,075 comes under convener quota. There are 27,710 seats in the national quota.
Speaking in New Delhi, AP health minister K. Srinivas said the Centre had given exemption to AP from Article 371D. Due to this, the students of AP will be able to contest for 4,482 seats through Neet. Telangana state and J&K had also entered the national pool, he said.
Seats will be available in top colleges
Mr Kumar Veeramulu, dean, Sri Chaitanya Junior College said, “It is a great boon for students of Telugu states to get into the national pool because we need to contribute around 400 seats and in return we get access to nearly 4,000 seats. Though these 4,000 seats are applicable to students throughout the country, the share of AP and TS in the top results is very high’’.
He said, “In Neet-2017 in top 1,000 ranks, students from the Telugu states secured 16 per cent. From the next year the 16 per cent will become at least 22 to 23 per cent so the number of seats which we are getting will be more than the seats we are contributing.” He said these seats are in the government sector, which include some top colleges
