Last date for admission in nursing colleges extended

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, November 18

The Department of Medical Education and Research (DMER), Punjab, has extended the last date for admission in all nursing colleges up to November 30. Earlier, the October 31 was the last date for admission. As over 70 per cent nursing course seats in 109 nursing institutes in the state remained vacant on the last date, the date has been extended for 30 days, revealed sources in the department.

The sources in the medical education department revealed that notification to extend the cut-off date for the admission was issued after executive committee of Indian Nursing Council (INC) gave its approval to it.

To fill all about 535 M.Sc nursing course seats, 4,400 B.Sc Nursing and 2,785 B.Sc (post basic) nursing courses vacant seats in 109 nursing institutes in the state, Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS) is to conduct another round of counseling before November 30.

Because of shortage of candidates for the nursing courses, about 3,200 B.Sc and 2,200 of B.Sc (post basic) seats in the nursing colleges are lying vacant.

Twentyeight nursing colleges in Punjab, offering 535 M.Sc courses seats, are facing a big challenge in filling these seats over 90 per cent of these seats are lying vacant. Out of total 535 M.Sc nursing course seats, the colleges have got only about 50 eligible candidates. Even in Government University Nursing Colleges at Faridkot, 8 out of total 30 seats are lying vacant. At State Institute of Nursing and Paramedical Sciences, Badal (Muktsar), once the most sought after nursing college, only one out of total 25 seats in M.Sc course could be filled so far.

The nursing colleges are demanding the medical education department to scrap the condition of qualify the entrance test to get admission in M.Sc. They want that all B.Sc nursing graduates be made eligible for admission in the M.Sc course so that to fill the vacant seats.

As the department of medical education and research, Punjab has already relax the norms to fill the B.Sc Nursing course seats, so many candidates who have scored zero or negative marks in entrance test have been allowed the admission.