Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, July 4: In a significant decision, the State Department of Health and Medical Education today ordered that all the Management quota seats in the private AYUSH and Physiotherapy Colleges of J&K shall be filled up by the J&K Board of Professional Entrance Examination (BoPEE) through joint counseling by mandatorily using the NEET (National Eligibility -cum-Entrance Test) score.
“It is hereby order that all the Management quota seats in the AYUSH and Physiotherapy Colleges of J&K shall henceforth be filled up by the BoPEE through joint/ common counseling, by mandatorily using the NEET score, as is being done in respect of Management quota seats of MBBS/Dental courses in case of private college in the State,” says the Government order number 634-HME of 2019, dated 04-07-2019.
The significant decision in this regard has been taken to ensure transparency into the system and to promote merit in respect of Management quota seats in the private AYUSH and Physiotherapy Colleges in the State.
Earlier, the Government had last year allowed the private AYUSH and Physiotherapy Colleges to fill up the Management quota seats on their own though as per the NEET merit.
Pertinent to mention that private AYUSH and Physiotherapy colleges of the State were insisting that they were competent to fill the Management quota seats at their own level out of the NEET score even as the BoPEE was of the view that the Management quota seats have to be filled up through the joint counseling by it as has been done in respect of Medical/ Dental course.
The matter was taken up by them with the Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India for a clarification, which, vide its communication dated 14-05-2018, had already clarified to all the State authorities that the AYUSH -Under Graduate seats shall be filled up mandatorily by using NEET score, conducted by CBSE in accordance with policies of the concerned State Government/Union Territories.
After examining the matter, the Department of Health and Medical Education, J&K Government, clarified to BoPEE vide letter dated 03-07-2018 that they may proceed as per the guidelines/communication of the Ministry of AYUSH, dated 14-05-2018 and fill the AYUSH seats strictly as per the NEET score under Management quota on the pattern of MBBS/BDS seats.
However, subsequently vide letter dated 08-08-2018, it was conveyed to the J&K Board of Professional Entrance Examinations that Management quota seats of AYUSH-Under Graduate courses shall be filled up strictly by the concerned Institutions as per the NEET merit conducted by CBSE. It was also conveyed to them that the Health and Medical Education Department was considering for framing a policy in this regard.
The issue was thoroughly examined in the Department and it was found that the Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India has repeatedly advised the State Governments that all AYUASH UG seats shall be mandatorily filled up by using the NEET merit from the academic year 2018-19. In view of this, it was felt that the State Government cannot formulate a view contrary to the National Policy. It was also felt that that in order to infuse transparency into the system and to promote merit, it was necessary that the Management quota seats in the private AYUSH and Physiotherapy Colleges in the State be filled up through joint counseling by BoPEE by following the NEET score, as is being done in case of Management quota seats for MBBS/ BDS in case of private colleges.
Therefore, after taking a holistic view in the matter, it was decided that all the Management quota seats in the private AYUSH and Physiotherapy Colleges in the State shall be filled up through joint counseling by BoPEE by following the NEET score, as is being done in respect of Management quota seats for MBBS/BDS in case of private colleges.
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