PG students irked as GMC skips mop-up round

PANAJI: Several post graduate students of Goa medical college (GMC), who were looking forward to the mop-up round to resign or shift upward to their choice of speciality, are agitated that, despite the Supreme Court directive, the college has failed to hold the mandatory mop-up round by May 15.
The GMC’s decision to not conducting a mop-up round has deprived many students from moving to another speciality in the same or some other college outside the state, one PG student said, while another told TOI that though he had got admission to a speciality of his choice in a college outside Goa, he could not grab the opportunity as the mop-up round was not held.
“The last date for me to report to the outside medical college was May 15, but since I was not allowed to leave, I had to forgo that seat,” he said.
A source said that the vacancies that would have created by virtue of some students opting for another faculty or joining another college would have benefited state quota students. This means that the mop up round would have offered, if not all, but a few students, an alternative choice of speciality seats, which were unavailable to them in the second round of counselling-cum-admission held on May 10.
The Supreme Court in its order had directed that the second round of counselling for the state quota be conducted and completed by May 10, whereas the mop-up round for the state quota, which was scheduled to be completed by May 8, be extended to May 15.
When contacted, GMC dean Dr Pradeep Naik said the apex court didn’t rule that the mop-up round was mandatory. “It is optional. The SC had only extended the last date from May 8 to May 15,” Naik said.
A mop-up round is only necessary in case seats fall vacant after the second round. “In case the appointing agency (the dean) feels that there are large number of vacant seats, it can hold the mop-up round,” the dean said.
Naik said during the second round of counselling, they found that 22-25 PG seats had no candidates. “These seats have been remaining vacant for the past five years and this is the situation in the rest of the country,” he said, adding that the decision to not hold the mop-up round was taken after discussions with professor in-charge of academics Sandeep Sardesai. “We felt there was no point in holding a mop-up round. We then informed the health secretary,” Naik said.
A source said the college abided with the Supreme Court order in part by holding a second round on May 10, but failed to conduct a mop-up round, as held by other states across India in accordance with the apex court’s order.
Goan students, deprived of their choice of PG seats during the mop-up round, are contemplating approaching the courts, a source said.
One student said that had they been intimated during the second round of admission itself about the college’s decision to not hold a mop-up round, it would have helped them make a better choice.