Mohammed Sajid & Tarun Kartick
Port Blair, Aug 22: Andaman and Nicobar Administration every year issues Engineering, Medical and other seats to students of these Islands for studying in various colleges in Mainland India. The seats are issued on the basis of merit according to the performance in the entrance and board examinations. The meritorious students of the Islands seek admissions in colleges of Mainland India against these seats because it does not put much burden on their pockets and they get a respectable degree from a well recognized institution.
This year according to parents, the administration is causing intolerable delay in conducting counseling for the MBBS seats, which were allotted for Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Earlier, the counseling for the engineering seats were also delayed and then the same was suddenly conducted after the intervention of Chief Secretary. Such hurry from the side of administration in the case of the counseling for the engineering courses had caused a lot of distress among the rural students since they were unable to attend the counseling and get seats for themselves in colleges in Mainland India.
Administration committed the mistake earlier in the case of Engineering seats and it seems that the Administration is now committing the same mistake in the case of the MBBS seats by not allotting those, on time.
The delay in counseling for the MBBS seats are creating a lot of problems for the aspirants and their parents as in case they miss this chance they will have to pay Rs. 30 to Rs. 40 Lakh as donation in other Medical Colleges for Admission. Those who can’t afford to pay will have to live with shattered dreams.
It’s been almost 45 days since the Medical Colleges in Mainland India have started functioning but still the administration has not announced the schedule for counseling for the MBBS seats and now the aspirants and their parents are getting increasingly worried about the MBBS seats that the administration will issue.
Andaman Sheekha today met many of the waiting MBBS aspirants and each one has one concern that even if they get seats and are able to join the college but still it won’t be possible to cope up with the syllabus already been covered.
In all professional courses such as Medical and Engineering the first year is the most important year of a student’s life because all the foundation required for the rest of their course is provided in the first year and missing out elementary lecture for a professional student is like missing out the elementary alphabetical studies and directly jumping on to learning words.
Andaman Sheekha contacted Mr. Esu Padam, Assistant Secretary Education to know why there is such considerable delay in issuing of seats. Mr. Esu Padam informed us that the delay is caused from the ministry level and all seats for MBBS have not received yet by the administration.
“The delay is basically caused because the colleges delay informing the ministry about the seats and then the process between the colleges and Ministry is long and slow,” he said.
He also added that the administration was expecting the seats by this week.
“A meeting was also conducted in this regard with the Chief Secretary on 20th of August and we are expecting the seats soon,” he added.
The Lt. Governor and the top officials of the administration should look into the matter and anyhow conduct the counseling for MBBS seats as soon as possible for a secure future of the aspirants of these Islands as many of the parents are now alleging that the delay is just because some officials in the Administration want their kids to get the MBBS seat, as more delay means less number of candidates and better chances.
