BJP to meet union health minister JP Nadda on increasing JIPMER seats

PUDUCHERRY: Ruling AINRC's alliance partner BJP today said it would soon meet Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda to seek a hike by 100 seats in the intake in first MBBS course in centrally administered JIPMER here.

Party's local unit president M Visweswaran told reporters here today that only 150 seats are available now in the first year and these through an all India competitive entrance exam. The JIPMER management had recently promised that the seats would be increased to 250, he said.

"When all infrastructure and allied facilities are available in agreement with the prescriptions of the Medical Council of India in JIPMER there is no reason why there should be any delay in increasing the seats," he said.

Visweswaran, also a nominated legislator of Puducherry, requested the JIPMER Director to immediately initiate steps to raise the seats, saying that if this was done students from Union Territory would get an increased quota.

He also wanted JIPMER to expedite the proposal to open a branch of the college in Karaikal.

He also demanded that privately run medical colleges earmark 50 per cent of the total seats in MBBS course in their institutions, saying the present pattern of fixing percentage of seats through negotiations every year was causing injustice to aspirants.