Students in Telangana have urged the state government and Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences (KNRUHS) to relax the admission criteria for BSc (Bachelor of Science) Nursing as 3,000 out of 6,500 seats are vacant after two web counselling sessions. Many states including Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Punjab have relaxed the admission criteria and selected the students who have qualified EAMCET (Engineering Agricultural and Medical Common Entrance Test) examination without any rank basis, as stated in a report by The New Indian Express.
Telangana has about 102 nursing colleges imparting BSc Nursing education and the admission strength of the students in the above-mentioned colleges is 6,500 under KNRUHS, Warangal. However, this year only about 3,000 seats are filled. To recall, the web counselling was held on October 1 and 14.
The BSc (N) admissions were being carried out based on marks obtained in the intermediate Biology Physics Chemistry (BiPC) course for the last 10 years. However, this year, the university changed the admission system and introduced the EAMCET exam rank up to 63,000 for convener quota seats and NEET rank for Management Quota seats according to Indian Nursing Council guidelines. Many students could not get above rank and therefore, could not get selected.
In this regard, a letter written by students to the Health Secretary read that most of the students obtaining a BSc Nursing course belong to the interior area, particularly tribal, where adequate coaching centres for EAMCET and NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) are not available to secure good ranks. Students believe that relaxing the admission criteria will help a wider section of poor students, as stated in a report by The New Indian Express.
