The state government on Wednesday informed the Madras High Court that steps are being taken to provide medical seats to waitlist government school candidates under 7.5 percentage reservation. The court was hearing a plea moved by two government school students parents who were similarly placed to candidates qualified under the reservation but were allotted only private colleges and kept under the waiting list due to the non-payment of fees.The issue pertains to the petitions moved by A Rajalakshmi, the mother of A Elakkiya and R Chithra, mother of R Dharshini.
Both from Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Chidambaram belonging to the Most Backward Category had the NEET score to secure medical college seats.However, the counselling committee offered thirteen private colleges and the private college fees was around Rs 8 lakhs fees per year.The petition said, -"Since we are not in the position to afford such huge fees that would be charged in the private colleges allotted to us we were, therefore, compelled to opt for the waiting list.-"However, one day after the counselling the Director of Medical Education addressed all the deans of self-financing, dental colleges coming under the single window selection to admit all the candidates of the Government schools selected under 7.5% horizontal reservation category without insisting on fees.
Arguing for the candidates before Justice Anand Venkatesh on Wednesday senior advocate P Wilson said that the government offer to pay fees in private Medical colleges was made on November 20 and the candidates were called for counselling on November 18 and 19. The candidates were not in a position to pay the fees to the allotted private colleges and hence were kept in the waiting list, he added. However, Advocate General Vijay Narayan contended that the state is taking steps to ensure medical seats will be provided to all the waitlist government school candidates under 7.5 percentage reservation notified by the state. The state is waiting for the counselling to get over, he added.Sesadhri appearing for the National Medical Commission submitted that the second counselling will be over by December 8. The court recorded the submissions of both the counsels and adjourned the matter to December 11 for the state to file a detailed report on the plea.
