Aspirants in fix as AP, TG delay counselling for MDS admissions
HYDERABAD : Aspirants of Masters in Dental Surgery (MDS) from the two Telugu states, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, are in a fix as the respective state health universities have delayed conducting counselling sessions for admission to the MDS course for the academic year 2024, contrary to the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) schedule.
According to the MCC schedule, the first round of All India counselling started on July 1 and concluded on July 17. The second round is slated to start on July 22 and end on August 7, with choice filling closing on July 28.
However, the Dr YSR University of Health Sciences in AP and Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences in Telangana, where state counselling was scheduled from July 10 to July 20, have not yet initiated registrations or provided seat matrices and merit lists. This delay has left aspirants unsure about their admissions.
The NEET MDS examination was held in March and counselling was expected soon after the results were declared in April.
A delay of over three months in counselling had already added to the plight and frustration of the aspirants and the states failing to conduct the counselling has only worsened their agony, also putting them at the risk of huge financial losses.
One of the aspirants from Hyderabad secured a seat in Jamnagar in the first round of All India Counselling. Speaking to TNIE the candidate said, “I was waiting for the state round to secure admission because I do not wish to move to another state. However, the university has not begun registrations, and we have no idea when the counselling will begin. If I continue to the second All India counselling round and secure another seat, I will not be allowed to appear for any of the state counselling rounds due to seat blocking regulations. In addition, if I do not take admission in the All India rounds for this session, I will be debarred from the counselling for the next two years”.
Another aspirant, Steve from Nellore in AP told TNIE, “I had applied for a deemed university in the first round of All India counselling and paid a security deposit of `2 lakh for the seat. I was waiting for the state counselling to start to secure a seat either in the government college or in the A category seat of a private college before the second round of All India counselling begins. However, since the state has not conducted the counselling session till date, I might end up losing the deposit money if I take another seat in the All India second round.”
Aspirants also said that the fee structure in the government and private medical colleges were starkly different, wherein a government college fee would be around 3.5 lakh per annum and around12 lakh for private college.
Candidates from both the states made several attempts to reach out to the universities, but in vain.
The official website of the KNRUHS said that the rules of admission to all Health Sciences courses including MDS would be amended in view of completion of 10 years of formation of Telangana state and that the matter was under consideration of the state government.
