All MBBS seats in AP for local students

Sources say that since Andhra Pradesh does not have to set aside 15 per cent of MBBS seats for students from other states, Neet will not impact the seat matrix in AP medical colleges. Sources said that since Andhra Pradesh does not have to set aside 15 per cent of seats in MBBS courses for students from other states, the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for admissions to MBBS courses will not impact the seat matrix in medical colleges here.
As far as AP is concerned, Neet will be nothing more than a qualifying test. The other states have to offer 15 per cent seats in MBBS courses and 50 per cent seats in PG medical courses to students from other states who qualify in Neet. With outside students not being eligible for admissions in AP medical colleges despite qualifying in Neet, 100 per cent of the seats in local medical colleges will go to AP students. The only difference is that AP students will have to sit for Neet instead of the Eamcet medical exam.

This rule is applicable for only two states in the country — Andhra Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. Thanks to the Presidential Order pertaining to local, nonlocal quotas, which is in force in both these states due to unique political conditions, these states are exempted from offering seats to students of other states under the central pool. Students from both these states are also barred from taking admissions in the central pool.

The central pool devised as per the directions of the Supreme Court, mandates all states to offer 15 per cent seats in MBBS courses and 50 per cent seats in PG medical courses to the central pool, which should be offered to students based on the merit secured in national-level medical entrances. There are certain disadvantages too that AP students will face for not being part of the central pool. They cannot compete for the 3,415 MBBS seats available in the central pool, while AP would have to offer only 720 seats to the pool out of 4,800 MBBS seats available in the state. The state has also been trying to seek exemption from Neet from the Centre and the courts by highlighting the issue that Neet will make no difference to AP since it is not part of the Central pool.

Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy had recently stated in a letter to the Centre: “For AP students the choice is limited to only medical colleges existing in the state. A number of students from AP do qualify for prestigious institutions like AIIMS, Jipmer etc., every year. But these institutions will continue to have their own entrance exams even after Neet. So, there may not be much relief in terms of reducing the number of entrance tests the AP students have to take.”