Battle heating up for medical seats

http://www.hindu.com/2008/07/03/stories/2008070353080500.htm
As per the reservation rule, 31 per cent of the total 1,831 seats will be available for open competition

With the battle heating up for 1,831 medical seats (under the government quota), students are now busy calculating the number of seats allotted to each community, going by the rule of reservation followed in Tamil Nadu.

As per the rule, 31 per cent of the total seats will be available for open competition; 30 per cent of the seats have been allotted for BCs, 20 per cent for MBCs, 18 per cent for SCs and 1 per cent for STs. This year, however, the 30 per cent available to the BCs have been divided into two: 23 per cent and 7 per cent.

The 7 per cent is meant to be split equally between the Backward Class Christians and Muslims at 3.5 per cent each.

Cut-off mark jumps

Health Secretary V.K. Subburaj said the cut-off mark for the open competition had jumped by 0.5 points from last year to touch 197.25. The Secretary, Selection Committee, Directorate of Medical Education, told The Hindu that the rest of the cut-off marks had not been announced, but it might be almost the same as last year, with a 0.5 mark increase across the board.

Last year, the cut-off for BC candidates was 194.50, 191.75 for MBCs, 187.25 for SCs and 179 for STs.

Applying the rule of reservation strictly, 569 seats are technically available for the open competition in both government medical colleges, and under the government quota in five self-financing institutions.

Similarly, for the BCs, the number is 421, and for BC (Christians) and BC (Muslims) it is 64 each. MBCs get 365 seats, SCs, 330 and STs 18 seats in all.

BDS seats

As for BDS, 85 seats are available in the Government Dental College and 783 seats under the government quota in 17 self-financing colleges. Of these, 269 seats are available for open competition, 201 for BC, 30 each for BC Christians and BC Muslims, 173 for MBCs, 156 for SCs and 9 for STs.