Govt alters criterion for availing state quota for MBBS, BDS

The state government has changed the criteria for availing the state quota for admission to MBBS and BDS courses from this year.

As per the changed rules, only those aspirants will be eligible to avail the state quota who have passed at least two of the four classes — VIII, X, XI and XII — from the state. The changed rules debar those aspirants from availing the state quota who have passed these classes from other states even if they are bona fide Himachalis. The counselling for these courses is scheduled to start shortly and the admission under the state quota will be granted under the changed criteria.

“The criteria has been changed to what it was before 2023. The condition of passing at least two of the four classes (Class VIII, X, XI and XII) was waived off in 2023. Now, it has been reintroduced,” an official said on the condition of anonymity. “The condition of being a bona fide Himachali remains as it was,” he said.

There are 720 MBBS seats in the six government medical colleges of the state. As many as 85 per cent seats are filled up under the state quota, while the remaining 15 per cent goes to the central pool.

As per the official, waiving of the condition of doing two classes from the state had opened up the doors to avail the state quota to non-resident Himachalis as well. “Last year 66 aspirants who had done their schooling from outside Himachal had availed the state quota. This number would have gradually increased if the criteria was not changed,” he said, hinting that it would have harmed the students doing their schooling from the state.

Meanwhile, the non-resident Himachali, who will be affected by the change, have already written to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu to not make schooling from the state compulsory for availing state quota. Arguing that several bona fide Himachali students were studying outside the state due to the job or business of their parents, they have urged the CM to not change the rule at least this year as these students had been preparing to get into medical colleges of their home state after the government removed the schooling condition in 2023. “Bringing the condition back suddenly will demoralise these students who have working hard for the last two years,” said a parent of the child hoping to secure a seat under the state quota.

Himachal Tribune