Punjab: Seats remain vacant for PG Medical and UG Dental courses across Punjab. Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS) recently conducted the 5th round of counselling schedule to fill the vacant seats.
The media report from Hindusthan Times suggest that PG Medical 5th round was conducted to fill up 80 vacant seats, and for UG Dental 5th round was conducted to fill up 601 vacant seats. However, most of the non-clinical seats in PG Medical are still left vacant. Whereas in UG Dental, most seats are vacant at private colleges. None of the eligible PG Medical candidates turned up for the counselling process, and only 8 candidates turned up for UG Dental counselling.
Expert suggests that the demand for non-clinical medical courses has reduced over a period of time. Non-clinical courses include anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, microbiology and community medicine. The private BDS colleges in the state have not been able to fulfil all the seats allotted to them. For the past 10 years, seats have remained vacant in private colleges, adds Hindustan Times.
The admission process for PG Medical and UG Dental courses is based on NEET PG and NEET UG exams conducted by National Testing Agency (NTA). NEET PG and NEET UG are eligibility-cum-ranking examinations prescribed as a single entrance examination for admission to various PG and BDS courses. No other entrance examination, either at the state or the Institution level, will be valid for entry to these courses.
Baba Farid University of Health Sciences was established in July 1998 by Punjab Act No. 18. It is named after Baba Farid, a 12th-century Punjabi Sufi headquartered in Faridkot. The mission of the University is to create an intellectual, academic, and physical environment conducive to the free flow of ideas and exchange of information between various faculties of the University and between this University and other Universities of Health Sciences in the country and abroad.