Medical counselling begins

• Rs.1 lakh fine if a student cancels admission
• Pvt colleges seen selling seats to non-rankers
• Open category counseling till Sept 1
• For those under quota, it will be from Sept 2 to 5

Hyderabad: Counselling for EAMCET medical stream began on Saturday. For both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh states, the NTR Health University is conducting the joint admission process.

As many as five online counselling centres have been opened. JNTU in Hyderabad, Kakatiya University in Warangal, Andhra University in Visakhapatnam, SV University in Tirupathi and NTR University in Vijayawada are undertaking the counselling process.

Both the states have decided that seats will be allocated to the students hailing from their respective parent state. For the first time, the NTR Health University has introduced the system of levying a fine of Rs 1 lakh if a student decides to cancel his admission after the process was over. This decision was taken as the managements were selling the vacant seat at exorbitant fees to non-rankers, according to Telangana Director of Medical Education Putta Srinivas.

Meanwhile, the managements of private un-aided medical and dental colleges in Telangana on Saturday refuted the allegations made by TDP leader A Revanth Reddy that they had greased the palms of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao with Rs 100 crore following which the government issued a GO, increasing the fee structure.

Speaking to media persons Puvvada Ajay Kumar said the managements had no role in the government’s decision. The decision was based on the recommendations of the Admission and Fee Regulatory Committee (AFRC).

While counseling for the open category seats in government and private colleges’ is being held for candidates with ranks 1 to 8,500 on August 30, 31 and September 1, for the candidates under reservation quota, the counselling will be held from September 2 to 5.

Counselling in Andhra amid protests
Vijayawada: The first phase of EAMCET counseling for medical and dental students, under Osmania, Andhra University, Sri Venkateswara University, began one hour late amid tension at the NTR University of Health Sciences here on Saturday. Counselling for 1,500 seats was concluded on the first day.

Vice-chancellor Prof. T Ravi Raju told the media that 5,950 seats---2,600 in government colleges and 3,200 in private colleges---were to be filled during the counselling. The seats are to be allocated to 15 government and 24 private colleges in Telangana and AP States. Counseling for 26 dental colleges too is being conducted. A total of 2,380 seats are to be allotted---240 in the government college and 2,140 in private colleges.

On the first day, EAMCET fourth ranker D Haritha secured admission in the Guntur Medical College. Prof. Raju handed over the admission letter to her. The university is enforcing this year a new rule, of Rs 1 lakh penal amount, on students who refuse the allotted seat. Some parents complained against this, as they would lose the second counselling option, if the penal amount is imposed. Parents and students felt that they should be allowed to choose the college and course of their choice, without any penal amount.

Activists of the Progressive Democratic Students’ Union (PDSU) demonstrated outside the NTR university, demanding withdrawal 15 per cent seats under NRI quota in medical/dental colleges in AP and Telangana. They wanted GO 120 (on NRI quota) withdrawn. The activists tried to meet the VC, but the police prevented them. The students were sent away to ensure peaceful conduct of the counselling.