318 MBBS seats filled in CENTAC counselling

PUDUCHERRY: Of the total 369 MBBS seats available in government and self-financing medical colleges in Puducherry, 318 seats have been filled so far. According to Centralised Admission Committee (CENTAC) authorities, merit list topper Soundariya from Karaikal preferred to join the Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Research Institute. Also, for the first time, a student from Backward Tribe category from Yanam secured admission in the government medical college.Students preferred the government medical college, followed by Puducherry Institute of Medical Sciences, Sri Manakula Vinayagar Medical College and Sri Venkateshwara Medical College in that order and four deemed medical colleges.In government medical college, the cut-off marks in open general category was 193. For Other Backward Classes, it was 191.667. For Most Backward Classes and Scheduled Castes it was 190.333 and 177.333, respectively. The 51 remaining MBBS seats would be filled in the coming days of counselling. According to government sources, the total number of seats under government quota went down after the self-financing medical colleges gave one seat less from the 265 seats decided during seat sharing talks. Last year, Sri Manakula Vinayagar Medical College gave 54 seats. But this year, it gave only 53.At least 48 students enrolled for Bachelor of Dental Surgery, B Sc (Nursing) and other biology based courses during the CENTAC counselling.