Chennai: Over 14,000 applications were sold out in five days for seats in the medical and dental courses, offered in the affiliated colleges of Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University. It created a record in its sort, as it is much more than what the colleges sold for the entire admission period last year. The reason for such rush for admission in government medical colleges is due to numerous instances of the seat-for-cash scam in private-run MBBS courses.
Sheela Grace, Selection Committee Secretary said that on day one, 6000 applications were sold across the counter at 15 government colleges in the state. Last year, the colleges sold only 3500 applications on the first day and 9,000 at the end of the fifth day. Total of only 12732 applications were sold last year. This year, already more than 14000 are sold. Further, 4000 more forms are yet to be sold and 5000 more have been ordered. Forms would be available till June 17.
The tremendous increase in the sale surprised even the selection committee, which had printed 18,000 applications forms, 2000 more than in 2008. Chennai tops the sale in application forms, with Kilpauk Medical College and Madras Medical College selling 2500 and 1500 application forms respectively followed by Salem Medical College (1115), Coimbatore Medical College (1183) and Madurai Medical College (1110). Most of the government medical colleges have sold more than 800 applications. However, there is no increase in the number of seats in the government medical colleges, compared to increased number of aspirants for the government run medical colleges
As per the sources, the selection committee offers 1483 seats in 15 medical colleges for counseling, after offering 262 seats to the all-India quota. The admission to Dharamapuri Medical College, which has 100 seats, would be processed, but it is subject to clearance by the Medical Council of India. There would also be 251 government quota seats from four private medical colleges affiliated to the Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University. The last date for submitting the applications will be June 17 and the rank list will be released on June 28. The first phase of counseling will be held from July 6 to July 17.
