Karnataka government is pushing for 25% of seats in deemed medical colleges to come under the government quota. This initiative is a crucial step towards increasing accessibility to medical education for students across the state. However, the move has sparked a debate, with management bodies of deemed colleges expressing concerns over the legal implications of such a decision.

Medical Colleges in Karnataka: The Push for Government Quota Seats 

The Principal Secretary of Medical Education in Karnataka has been at the forefront of this push, holding multiple meetings with the management of deemed medical colleges. The focus of these discussions has been to secure a commitment from these institutions to allocate 25% of their seats under the government quota, applicable to both undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) medical courses.

The Director of the Directorate of Medical Education, B.L. Sujatha Rathod, emphasized the importance of this move by stating, “Despite following the UGC rules, as per the rules of PGET, it is mandatory for deemed medical colleges to offer 25% enhanced seats under the government quota. However, only a few of them were offering government quota seats.”

Medical Seats in Karnataka: Distribution Across Deemed Colleges

As of 2024, Karnataka stands out as a major hub for medical education in India. With its vast array of government, private, and deemed medical institutions, the state offers a diverse range of opportunities for aspiring doctors. This blog post delves into the intricate details of seat distribution and fee structures across various types of medical colleges in Karnataka, with a particular focus on deemed colleges.

 

Overview of Medical Seats in Karnataka

Karnataka hosts a total of 68 medical colleges, collectively offering 11,595 seats. With 3 new medical colleges to add 350 mbbs seats in Karnataka. Colleges are divided into government, private, and deemed colleges, each with distinct seat distribution policies and fee structures. The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) conducts NEET counselling for 85% of the state quota seats, while the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) manages the remaining 15% under the All India Quota (AIQ).

 

Deemed Medical College Seat Distribution in Karnataka

Deemed colleges play a significant role in Karnataka's medical education landscape. Unlike government colleges, deemed colleges are autonomous institutions with their own admission processes and fee structures. The seat medical seats in Karnataka in deemed colleges are particularly important for students seeking specialized medical education.

In Karnataka, there are 12 deemed colleges that offer medical courses. These institutions reserve a certain percentage of seats for government quota students, with the remaining seats allocated to management, NRI, and institutional quotas.

The following table illustrates the government medical seats in Karnataka across deemed colleges and state quota fees:

 

Government Medical Colleges in Karnataka

The 24 government medical colleges offer 3,750 medical seats in Karnataka. The seat distribution in these colleges is governed by various reservation policies, including those for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS). Additionally, there are special quotas for physically disabled candidates, students from outside Karnataka, children of defence personnel, and sports quota candidates.

The table below outlines the seat distribution in government medical colleges:

Furthermore, the following table highlights the additional seat reservations in government colleges:

Additional reservations are also available for special categories such as physically handicapped (PH), Jammu and Kashmir migrants (JK), National Cadet Corps (NCC), sports (SPO), and others.

Private Medical Colleges in Karnataka

Private medical colleges in Karnataka & medical seats in Karnataka are categorized into non-minority colleges, state colleges, and minority colleges. The seat distribution in these institutions is managed by the Directorate of Medical Education (DME), which has the authority to allot all seats in private colleges.

The seat distribution in private colleges is as follows:

Further, private seats are divided into sub-categories, including GMP (Government Management Private) seats, RC (Religious Category) seats, GMPH (Government Management Private Handicapped) seats, OPEN seats, and Minority seats.

The following table outlines the division of private seats:

Minority Reservations for medical seats in Karnataka

In Karnataka, minority reservations are categorized into linguistic and religious minorities. Linguistic minorities include Tamil, Telugu, Tulu, and Kodava-speaking communities, while religious minorities include Christian and Muslim communities. However, it's important to note that no college in Karnataka currently offers Kodava Minority seats.

Also Read: Total 1,12,112 MBBS Seats & 72,267 PG in India across 731 Medical Colleges

 

Fee Structures in Karnataka's Medical Colleges

For medical seats in Karnataka, the fee structure varies significantly between government, private, and deemed colleges. Government medical colleges have relatively lower fees compared to private and deemed colleges, making them a more affordable option for many students.

For example, the Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute charges INR 70,000 for AIQ students and INR 60,100 for state quota students. In contrast, private colleges such as AJ Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Centre, Mangalore, charge INR 1,41,446 for government quota seats, INR 10,92,842 for management quota seats.

Deemed colleges also have higher fee structures. For instance, KLE JGMM Medical College, Hubballi, charges INR 6,41,728 for state quota student

 

The Legal Standpoint and Challenges 

While the Karnataka government is firm on its stance, the management of deemed colleges has raised concerns about the legality of this requirement. Dr. S Kumar, secretary of the consortium of deemed colleges, pointed out that the current law does not permit such a mandate. He referenced past incidents where agreements between the government and deemed colleges to share seats were struck down by the courts.

In 2005-06, nine deemed colleges in Karnataka signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government to share PG seats under pressure. However, this agreement was later nullified by the High Court, which stated that deemed colleges cannot be equated with affiliated colleges. The Supreme Court later upheld this decision, further complicating the state's efforts to impose the 25% government quota.

The managements of these colleges argue that while private colleges are required to set aside 40% of their seats for the government quota, deemed colleges operate under different guidelines. They are not bound by the same regulations, and any changes to this arrangement would require a significant legal overhaul.

The Role of the National Medical Commission  (NMC)

Adding to the complexity of the situation is the role of the National Medical Commission (NMC). According to Justice Subhash Adi of the Fee Regulatory Committee (FRC), the NMC has clarified in its official memorandum that the guidelines applicable to private medical colleges under the purview of state fee regulatory authorities should also apply to deemed colleges. This statement has provided some support to the state's efforts, but it has not yet resulted in a definitive resolution.

In the past three years, the NMC has not been requiring a No Objection Certificate (NoC) for increasing intake or starting new courses in deemed colleges. This has allowed some deemed colleges to bypass the requirement of offering government quota seats, further complicating the issue.

The Implications for Medical Seats in Karnataka

If the Karnataka government succeeds in enforcing the 25% government quota seats in deemed medical colleges, it could significantly increase the number of affordable medical seats available to students in the state. Currently, the high cost of seats in deemed colleges makes them inaccessible to many aspiring medical students, who are often forced to seek admission in private colleges or outside the state.

However, the legal and regulatory challenges posed by the consortium of deemed medical seats in Karnataka cannot be ignored. The outcome of this debate will have far-reaching implications for medical education in Karnataka and could set a precedent for other states facing similar issues.

As the state government continues its discussions with the management of deemed colleges, it remains to be seen how this issue will be resolved. While there is a clear demand for more government quota seats, the legal and regulatory framework surrounding deemed colleges presents significant obstacles.

The Karnataka government is exploring all possible avenues to ensure that more medical seats in Karnataka come under the government quota, but it will require careful navigation of the legal landscape to achieve this goal. The managements of deemed colleges, on the other hand, are likely to continue pushing back against what they see as an overreach by the state government.

Also Read: MCC Counselling vs State Schedule for NEET 2024: Round 1 Dates, August 14