Nod for Tiruvarur Medical College likely

CHENNAI: Clearance from the Medical Council of India for the new Tiruvarur Medical College is expected this academic year, said State Health Minister Dr V S Vijay here on Tuesday. But the proposal to increase the number of MBBS seats in the Madras Medical College, Stanley Medical College and Kilpauk Medical College may be implemented only next year, he added.The State government had sent a letter to MCI this year, seeking an increase of 85, 100 and 50 seats in these colleges, respectively. Approval for the same can be expected next year, he said. Speaking at the release of the rank list for the MBBS courses in the city, Vijay pointed out that Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has accorded top priority to improving the infrastructure in medical colleges and an announcement on it would be made in the budget.The availability of seats from self-financing colleges to the government would be known only during the counselling sessions, he informed. When asked why there were fewer self-financing medical colleges as compared to engineering colleges, he said medical colleges required greater infrastructure, including doctors, professors and hospitals with at least 500 bed-capacity. In response to another query, the minister said the State was totally against the introduction of a Common Entrance Test for MBBS seats across the country, despite a directive from the Medical Council of India to do so.Among the top 10 MBBS rankers, two were from the OC category, one from MBC and the rest BC, he said.