‘Difficult to judge if a candidate fulfils eligibility in an online process’

The admission process for MBBS and BDS courses in the state has courted controversy. Questions over eligibility, students submitting fake NEET result cards and the release of —what students presumed were two merit lists — on June 29 and on July 17, have marred the process. There are also reports of students planning to move court against Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS), Faridkot.

Ahead of the online allotment of MBBS and BDS seats on July 21, HT’s Nikhil Sharma interviewed BFUHS vice-chancellor Dr Raj Bahadur.

What did the varsity uploaded on its site on June 29, 2017 ?

After getting NEET result from the Centre, we uploaded result of candidates who had appeared in NEET 2017 and filled Punjab as their appearing state.

Did this list reflect any merit?

No, this list only gave a vague impression of the standing of candidates among those who had applied for the NEET with Punjab as appearing State.

Who is an eligible candidate for a seat from Punjab State?

All candidates who are bona fide residents of Punjab and have done Class 12 from the state are eligible.

Are other candidates eligible for Punjab State admission?

Candidates who have been exempted as per ‘Notification of Punjab NEET 2017’ shall also be eligible for competing seats, as mentioned in para number 11 and sub paras number (i) to (viii), including the special note mentioned there in the prospectus. Students should read it carefully.

Candidates have alleged discrepancies between the first and the second list?

There are candidates, who are ineligible, and yet have applied to the BFUHS. They reflect on the second list as it is difficult to ascertain if a candidate fulfils all eligibility criteria in an online application process. We will verify correct eligibility.

What caused the disparity?

Candidates belonging to minority quotas viz Christian candidates as well as Sikh candidates are to be considered for admission based on All-India rank. They are on the second list. As per the state’s notification, candidates for BDS from the country, shall be considered after exhausting Punjab’s candidates.

Why are you doing the physical verification?

We are doing physical verification in 11 categories. The eligibility of general candidates shall be verified on July 22 and 23. The verification of SC and BC candidates will be done in colleges.