| PATNA: The controversy over 48 MBBS seats reserved for SC/ST candidates being left vacant for the session 2014-15 has been resolved. The health department has agreed to waive the condition of mandatory minimum qualifying marks to be obtained at the entrance examination for admission.
It may be mentioned here that 42 SC and six ST seats were left vacant in the list issued by Bihar Combined Entrance Competitive Examination Board (BCECEB) as the students concerned did not get 40% marks at the examination. The students approached the SC/ST Commission and even threatened to gherao the CM if the limit was not waived. Commission's chairman Vidyanand Bikal said denial of admission was in contravention of the rights of reserved category students. "The prospectus of the state government said in special circumstances the limit of 40% marks can be waived," he said.
Health department spokesperson and deputy secretary Anil Kumar said, "We have written to the Medical Council of India and Union health ministry to allow us to admit SC/ST students with less than 40% marks in the light of the exception given in the prospectus published by the state government." He added the department hoped a positive result because in a similar scenario in 2012, the department had got a go- ahead from the MCI.
This controversy had also exposed the faux pass on the part of BCECEB. It first issued a list of students eligible to get admission in various medical colleges of the state on August 19, in which no seat was left vacant. However, it withdrew the list on August 21 with its officials saying there were technical errors in the preparation of the list. The final list was put up on its website on August 25, in which 48 seats were left vacant. The SC/ST commission had even approached Patna high court in this matter.
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