50 per cent seats for dental courses lying vacant post NEET

The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) has led to a situation wherein seats for the BDS course are lying vacant. Facing crisis, the Dental Council of India (DCI) has written to the Union health ministry for lowering the percentile to fill up these vacant seats. Earlier, the government had decided that students will be admitted to medical and dental courses only through NEET.

DROP FROM FULL OCCUPANCY TO HALF

The dental colleges were witnessing full occupancy for the BDS course. But now the colleges are finding it difficult to fill even 50 per cent seats. These dental colleges have to complete the admission process by October 7.


"We received representations from various states, including dental colleges, to lower down the percentile to fill up the seats lying vacant in BDS course after exhausting the state lists. The decision taken by the General Body is communicated to the Central government to take its final decision in the matter as early as possible," said DCI president Dr Dibyendu Majumdar.

"DCI in conformity with the provisions that when sufficient number of candidates in the respective categories fail to secure minimum marks as prescribed in NEET held for any academic year for admission to MBBS/BDS courses, the Central government in consultation with MCI and DCI may at its discretion lower the minimum marks required for admission to these courses for candidates belonging to respective categories. And marks so lowered by the Central government shall be applicable for the said academic year only," Majumdar said.

NEET BASED ON CBSE SYLLABUS CREATES HINDRANCE
In this academic year the NEET was based on the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) syllabus. But the academicians said it was a hindrance in clearing the exam for many. "General Body of the DCI has taken into consideration that the CBSE prescribed the course curriculum/syllabus of the NEET based on its syllabus and the CBSE Board exists mostly in the urban areas not in rural areas. The students of rural areas are rarely enrolled with the CBSE Board and they have pursued their courses from the board constituted by the respective state or any other board," said Dr AK Chandna, member, DCI.

DCI ASKS CENTRE TO REDUCE PERCENTILE TO FILL SEATS
DCI has asked the Union health ministry that in order to fill up the vacant seats in different parts of the country, the 50 percentile prescribed for general category and 40 percentile for reserve category be reduced by 10 percentile.

"A student securing 40 percentile in general category and 30 percentile for reserved category be made eligible for admission in BDS course only for the current academic session 2016. It is not to be quoted as a precedent in the future, provided that there shall be no deviation or relaxation from academic qualification and percentage as prescribed by the DCI in its Revised BDS Course Regulation, 2007 and only those students shall be admitted who have appeared in NEET, purely on their order of merit," said Chandna.

Considering the problem, the Rajasthan government has apparently permitted to lower the marks to an extent of 10 percentile so that the optimal number of seats is filled through transparent and fair process without compromising merit. This will be applicable for this academic year only, and will not be used as a precedent for future academic years, DCI said.