Despite assurances of government, no enhancement in postgraduate (PG) dentistry seats has been announced for this academic year, leaving aspirants in lurch. As per the recently declared seat matrix by J&K Board of Professional Entrance Examinations (BOPEE), only 12 seats are available to approximate 2000 aspirants of state.
Beginning February, minister for health and medical education Bali Bhagat stated in the Upper House that this year, postgraduate courses would be started in Jammu’s Indira Gandhi Government Dental College (IGGDC). He also said that intake capacity at Government Dental College (GDC) Srinagar would be enhanced as per the revised teacher student ratio, and each of the specialties running PG courses would have an intake of three instead of two.
However, aspirants for masters in dental surgery/science (MDS) were aghast when BOPEE issued the seat matrix on 21 February, with the intake capacity of just 12, as existed last year.
GDC Srinagar officials, wishing anonymity said that government’s announcement of seat enhancement was “premature” as the state dental colleges were yet to work on fulfilling requirements for the same.
“If IGGDC Jammu has to start the postgraduate courses this year, they should have started last year and submitted the proposal to health ministry. If GDC Srinagar had to increase its intake capacity, it also has to satisfy MCI that it has all the basic requirements such as infrastructure and human resource,” the official said.
“However,” he said, “the process has started a few weeks ago. Therefore it is not possible that seats will be increased any time soon,” he said.
DrRomesh Singh, Principal IGGDC agreed that starting MDS this year at the college was not possible. “Only if we are given some special concession, or allotment, will we be able to start the course,” he said. He further said that government had given its go ahead and the college had submitted documents regarding the requirement to medical council of India (MCI). “We have adequate faculty and infrastructure and when the dental council and MCI inspect us, we are sure to get permission for starting MDS here, when the proposal goes through,” he said.
A delegation of aspirants for MDS told Greater Kashmir that their hopes for securing a seat in state’s dental colleges had been dashed by the delay in getting an increase in intake capacity. “For the past many years, we have been demanding that the number of postgraduate seats be increased. But to no avail,” said, Nida, an aspirant. She added that despite a high merit at all India level in national eligibility cum entrance test for MDS, J&K candidates cannot seek admission in colleges outside the state, while as state intake capacity was “constrained and stagnant”.
Aspirants in states of J&K, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are not eligible to participate in all-India quota seats, as these states do not contribute any seats to this quota.
Despite repeated calls, health minister and principal GDC Srinagar did not respond.