JEE suspends counselling for medical aspirants in Orissa

Bhubaneswar, Jul 12 (UNI) The Orissa Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) and AIPMT rank-holders, seeking admission into private medical colleges in the state, were disappointed as the JEE committee suspended the counselling for indefinite period.

JEE committee Vice-Chairman Dr Sitaram Mohapatra said the committee had no option but to suspend the counselling as it did not receive any communication from the government about the availability of MBBS and BDS seats in the private Medical Colleges.

Several AIPMT rank-holders, who were asked to report for the counselling yesterday, had to return empty-handed in the absence of any clear cut instructions as to when they would again have to report for counselling.

When contacted private medical college authorities said although the Medical Council of India (MCI) had given recognition to their courses, the Union Ministry of Health was yet to communicate its approval for admission to the MBBS and BDS courses.

The JEE had announced that the counselling for admission to the government and private medical colleges would commence from July 11 to July 23 but in the absence of any communication from the government on the status of the private medical colleges, only the counselling for the three government medical colleges was completed yesterday.

The JEE committee Vice-Chairman said, ''We are ready to conduct the counselling for the private medical colleges at any time provided the communication from the government reaches us.'' He said once the instructions from the Union Health Ministry arrived, the JEE would conduct the counselling with a week's notice to the candidates.

More than 19,000 candidates were issued rank card to participate in the counselling for admission to MBBS and BDS courses in three government and as many private medical colleges in the state.

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