Common counselling for medicos

New Delhi: The government has made it mandatory for the states to conduct common counselling for medical aspirants for undergraduate and postgraduate courses in both government and private medical colleges.

Calling it a “timely gift” before the onset of admissions, Bipin Batra, director, National Board of Examinations (NBE) said, “Common counselling for all UG/PG/superspeciality courses… notified recently, is a timely gift to PG aspirants as the regulation… shall provide much-needed relief and order in admissions,” he said.

Recently, the central government had issued an advisory to this effect to all states and in January this year all state governments had participated in a video conference chaired by Union health secretary to spearhead this reform.

“The notification of state governments as the appropriate authority and single window for allocation of seats… is a welcome step and logical course to implementation of NEET as a single-window entrance,” added Dr Batra.

Officials say that the regulation will bring transparency in the otherwise “haphzard” system of admission as this will ensure that all admissions are made as per merit as the sole criterion. With this, the practice of filling multiple application forms and running around for institute and university counsellings will also end. The aspirants will have to attend only one counseling at state level. It will be mandatory on all institutions covered under scope of IMC Act.