Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, Aug 20: The union health & family welfare ministry has decided to end the allocation of seats under the central pool quota for MBBS to Arunachal Pradesh from this year onwards.
The ministry has allocated only three BDS seats, and has done away with the MBBS seats. This is in contrast to last year, when the state had been allocated 25 MBBS seats under the central pool quota.
The ministry took the decision in view of the start of the Tomo Riba Institute of Health & Medical Science (TRIHMS), the state’s first medical college.
“Usually, when a state gets its own medical college, the central pool quota is withdrawn. Last year it had been granted as there was uncertainty over the TRIHMS. However, considering that seven seats from the TRIHMS have been allocated for the all India quota, and that the TRIHMS is still in its early stage, the state government sought central pool seats this year, too. But the ministry has not heeded to the request,” informed an official.
It is learnt that the state’s Health & Family Welfare (HFW) Minister Alo Libang and HFW Principal Secretary Dr AC Verma have left for Delhi to pursue the matter.
The ministry’s move has parents and students in the state worried, and they have appealed to the state government to look into the matter.
Meanwhile, the All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) urged the union ministry to continue to provide central pool seats to the state till the TRIHMS is fully ready.
The AAPSU has demanded that the state government take necessary steps in the matter and apprise the Centre of the need for central pool quota for the welfare of the state’s student community.
