In a last-ditch effort to fill remaining medical seats, the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has announced a final opportunity for NEET-qualified candidates. This comes after 26 MBBS seats were left unallotted following the recent stray vacancy round of counselling.
Final Window for Aspiring Medical Students
The authority has set a tight deadline, allowing seat allotment only until Wednesday noon. Students must report to their allotted colleges by Wednesday evening. H Prasanna, the Executive Director of KEA, stated that eligible candidates can approach the authority with a demand draft and the necessary eligibility documents. Seats will be granted strictly based on their NEET rank.
"This attempt is being provided after colleges expressed hope of filling the vacant seats," Prasanna explained. He further added that the KEA will report any remaining vacancies to the National Medical Commission (NMC). Should the NMC permit additional rounds, counselling may resume. For now, the KEA is under a directive from the Karnataka High Court to complete the counselling process and submit the final list by Wednesday evening.
Where Are the Vacancies?
Interestingly, all 26 vacant MBBS seats are concentrated in just two private medical colleges. MVJ Medical College and Research Hospital in Bengaluru accounts for the majority, with 22 unallotted seats. The remaining four seats are at Mahadevappa Rampure Medical College in Kalaburagi.
This situation marks a shift from the previous year, where no medical or dental seats were left vacant after counselling. MJ Mohan, Chairman of MVJ Medical College, suggested a reason for the current vacancies. "Around 50 seats were added towards the end of counselling. That could be the reason why so many seats did not find takers," he said. The total intake for his college is approximately 250 students.
Broader Context of Admissions and Delays
The MBBS admission process in Karnataka faced significant delays this year due to legal challenges. Parents had filed a case in the High Court, contesting the third round of seat allotment which was conducted while the NMC was still in the process of adding new seats.
Out of the total 10,559 MBBS seats available this year through KEA, 10,533 have been successfully allotted. In a positive note for dental aspirants, all 2,709 BDS seats have been filled. The stray vacancy round initially had 73 medical and 34 dental seats on offer, with all dental seats being taken.
Meanwhile, the KEA is also managing counselling for Ayush courses, where a substantial number of seats—800—remain unfilled. The final push for MBBS seats highlights the ongoing efforts to match qualified candidates with available educational opportunities in the state's healthcare education sector.
