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New Indian Express
6 days ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
Puducherry grants 10% reservation for government school students in non-NEET courses
PUDUCHERRY: The Puducherry Government has issued a notification granting 10% horizontal reservation to students from government schools in admissions to undergraduate non-NEET courses. The government has previously granted a 10% reservation for NEET-based courses in 2023-2024. This clears the deck for the Centralised Admission Committee (CENTAC) to begin counselling for the academic year 2025–26. According to the notification issued by the Higher Education Department on August 1 and released on Monday, the reservation will apply to seats under the Government Quota in both government and private self-financing institutions. Eligible courses include Engineering, Veterinary, Agriculture and Horticulture, Nursing, Biology-based Paramedical degree and diploma courses, Pharmacy, Law, Arts, Science, and Commerce. To qualify, students must be residents of the Union Territory of Puducherry and must have studied exclusively in government schools within the UT continuously from Class VI to Class XII, passing the Higher Secondary Examination (+2). This provision marks a variation from the Health Department's order, which grants a 10% reservation in NEET-based courses to students who have continuously studied in government schools from Classes I to XII.
Hans India
02-08-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Dual nativity row hits medical admissions in Puducherry UT again
Puducherry: The contentious issue of dual nativity has once again marred the medical admission process in Puducherry, with allegations surfacing over irregularities in the draft merit list released by the Centralised Admission Committee (CENTAC) for MBBS and other NEET-based courses under the government quota. The Pondicherry State Students and Parents Welfare Association has raised an alarm over suspected misuse of nativity claims, with its president V. Balasubramanian revealing that at least two students were found to be listed in both Puducherry's CENTAC merit list and the Tamil Nadu Health Department's list. This duplication, he said, points to potential fraud in the declaration of nativity, a critical factor in admissions under the Union Territory's government quota. In a formal petition addressed to the Lieutenant Governor, Chief Minister and senior officials of the UT administration, the association has demanded an immediate probe and intervention. It has urged authorities to prevent candidates from other states from cornering seats meant exclusively for Puducherry natives. The association has also sought a thorough cross-verification of applicants' NEET scores, rank numbers, and personal details against the merit lists released in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and Kerala. Balasubramanian expressed concern that multiple similar cases may have gone undetected due to insufficient scrutiny. Despite clear provisions in Puducherry's admission guidelines — which disqualify any student claiming nativity in more than one state during the same academic year — the issue continues to recur annually. The rules also mandate a parental declaration affirming the legitimacy of the nativity claim, but activists allege that enforcement remains weak. Last year, eight students were disqualified on dual nativity grounds. However, the association criticised CENTAC and the Puducherry Health Department for not implementing the rules effectively. Balasubramanian alleged that the departments have failed to take proactive steps to detect and deter fraudulent claims. Drawing attention to recent action taken by Tamil Nadu authorities, who disqualified over 23 students for submitting fake documents under the NRI and other quota categories, the association urged the Puducherry government to adopt similar strict punitive measures. It also called for action against students, parents, and intermediaries involved in procuring bogus nativity certificates. With the admissions process underway, the association has warned that failure to address the issue promptly could deny deserving local candidates their rightful opportunity to pursue medical education.
New Indian Express
01-08-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Forum raises concerns over dual nativity in Pondicherry medical admissions
PUDUCHERRY: The issue of dual nativity has once again cast a shadow over medical admissions in Puducherry, with a forum of students and parents flagging serious irregularities in the draft merit list released by the Centralised Admission Committee (CENTAC) for MBBS and other NEET-based courses under the government quota. According to V Balasubramanian, president of the Pondicherry State Students and Parents Welfare Association, two students have been found to figure in both Puducherry's CENTAC merit list and the Tamil Nadu Health Department's list, raising doubts about the authenticity of their nativity claims. He also expressed apprehension that similar cases involving students from other neighbouring states could have gone unnoticed. In a petition to the Lt Governor, Puducherry CM and senior officials, the forum urged immediate intervention to prevent candidates from other states from occupying medical seats reserved for Puducherry natives. The association demanded a comprehensive cross-verification of applicant data — including NEET scores, rank numbers, and personal details — with merit lists from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Kerala to identify dual applicants. They further called for strict action against students, parents, and any intermediaries involved in obtaining fraudulent nativity certificates. Despite existing provisions in Puducherry's admission guidelines — which state that any student claiming nativity in more than one state during the same academic year would be disqualified — complaints continue to surface annually. The norms also include a clause requiring a parental declaration to reinforce compliance. Last year, eight students were disqualified on similar grounds. However, Balasubramanian alleged that CENTAC and the Puducherry Health Department have failed to enforce the rules strictly. Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu has disqualified over 23 students for submitting fake certificates under the NRI and other quota categories. The forum urged the Puducherry administration to adopt similar punitive measures.
Time of India
31-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Merit cut-off for medical admissions in Gujarat expected to drop by 100 marks
Ahmedabad: The admission committee for professional medical educational courses (ACPUGMEC) released the provisional merit list for medical, dental, ayurvedic, and homeopathy courses on Thursday, bringing relief to aspiring medical students across Gujarat. This year's merit cut-off is expected to fall by at least 100 marks compared to the previous year. While the final admission was secured at 430 marks in 2024, this year's cut-off is projected to drop to at least 330 marks, opening new avenues for lower-ranked candidates to secure MBBS seats. The huge drop in cut-off scores is reflected in the overall performance of the candidates. Last year's NEET exam saw the top scorer from the state achieving 720 marks, but this year's highest merit in the state stands at just 657 marks — a 63-mark decline in the top score. The impact is evident at institutions such as BJ Medical College, where last year's final open category admission was at 699 marks. You Can Also Check: Ahmedabad AQI | Weather in Ahmedabad | Bank Holidays in Ahmedabad | Public Holidays in Ahmedabad For the current academic year, 25,188 PINs were distributed for NEET-based admissions, and 24,117 candidates registered. Out of these, 24,845 completed the document verification process, while 736 candidates were found ineligible for various reasons. The final merit list includes 24,374 eligible candidates competing for 15,988 seats across various medical courses. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Japanese AI invention allows you to speak 68 languages instantly. The idea? Genius. Enence 2.0 Undo These 15,988 seats include 6,700 in MBBS (medical), 1,255 in BDS (dental), 3,473 in BAMS (ayurveda), and 8,033 in BHMS (homeopathy), spread across a total of 187 institutes — 38 for medical, 13 for dental, 44 for ayurveda and 92 for homeopathy. With the first round of all-India quota admissions scheduled to conclude by Aug 11, the choice-filling for Gujarat state quota admissions will begin after Aug 7. The allocation of seats under the state quota is expected to be carried out after Aug 11. The merit list demonstrates diverse representation from various categories including 4,652 candidates under the EWS category (2,726 females and 1,926 males), 5,364 under the open category (3,313 females and 2,051 males), and numerous others across SC, ST and SEBC categories, making up 24,374 eligible candidates.
New Indian Express
26-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Puducherry: NEET, non-NEET courses' counselling to be held together
PUDUCHERRY: In a major shift from previous years, the Centralised Admission Committee (CENTAC) will conduct counselling for both NEET and non-NEET courses simultaneously this year. The process is expected to begin in the first week of August. The decision comes amid mounting pressure to meet the August 14 deadline set by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) for completing admissions to engineering and related courses. Students and parents have raised concerns over the delay in announcing the counselling schedule. 'CENTAC is currently awaiting a government notification regarding the proposed 10% reservation for government school students in non-NEET courses,' CENTAC Convenor Cheryl Shivan told TNIE. While this reservation already exists for MBBS and other NEET-based programmes, CM N Rangasamy had earlier announced its extension to non-NEET courses in the Legislative Assembly. Sources indicated that the decision is being processed through the cabinet by circulation. Chief Minister Rangasamy and some ministers have already signed the proposal, and the remaining ministers are expected to sign soon. The file will then be sent to Lt Governor K Kailashnathan for final approval. Officials clarified that his absence from the station will not delay the process, as approval can be granted through the e-office system.
