MUMBAI: A week after the centre's Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) removed the 'qualifying mark' criterion in NEET for admissions to super-specialty courses, aspirants are seeking similar relaxation in PG diploma courses. The College of Physicians and Surgeons (CPS) of Mumbai, on getting many appeals, has written to the Union ministry of health & family welfare with the demand. In Maharashtra, 15% seats are vacant in 2021-22 admissions that concluded last week.
CPS of Mumbai offers around 25 PG diploma courses. As only 10 of these are recognised by National Medical Commission, and others by the state, it is not included in the central counselling process. However, admission criterion is same as that followed for MD/MS and DNB courses - 50 percentile in NEET-PG.
In its letter, CPS of Mumbai said 157 seats in Maharashtra and 47 in Gujarat in clinical subjects are vacant. "In view of this, CPS requests you to reduce the eligibility criteria for diploma courses, as some have not been eligible despite repeatedly giving NEET-PG."
President, CPS of Mumbai, Girish Maindarkar, said, "These students have cleared MBBS and have been graded by universities. Not many can cope with multiple-choice question format in NEET-PG," he said, adding that many CPS-qualified doctors work in peripheral healthcare facilities, and help boost the state's health index.
A government official said the relaxation is not for broadspecialty (PG). Relaxation can't be only for a section of PG students, and other admissions have closed in May.
