Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has clarified that there is no proposal for centralised counselling for undergraduate or postgraduate medical courses in India for the academic year 2023-24. This means that the current system of state-level counselling for NEET-qualified candidates will continue.
The Minister's announcement comes after some states, including Tamil Nadu, had expressed concerns about the proposed centralised counselling system. These states felt that it would take away their autonomy in the matter of medical admissions.
The Minister's clarification has been welcomed by the medical education community. The Association of Indian Medical Colleges (AIMC) has said that the decision to retain the state-level counselling system is "a welcome relief" for the students and their parents.
The AIMC has also called on the government to address the other concerns that have been raised about the proposed centralised counselling system. These include the lack of transparency in the process and the potential for corruption.
The government has said that it will take into account the concerns that have been raised and will make necessary changes to the proposed system. However, it has not said when the new system will be implemented.
In the meantime, the current system of state-level counselling will continue. This means that students who have qualified for NEET will have to apply for admission to medical colleges in their respective states. The counselling process will be conducted by the respective state governments.