Chandigarh: Norms tightened for Defence wards vying for GMCH seats under UT pool

Naina Mishra

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Chandigarh, July 12

The UT Administration has decided to revise the eligibility criteria for admission to the MBBS course in GMCH-32 under the UT pool by removing domicile exception for wards of serving Defence personnel/ex-servicemen.

Pools for GMCH-32

Central 15%

UT 85%

Now, wards of serving Defence personnel/ex-servicemen having permanent address of Chandigarh in their service record, at the time of entry into Defence services, will be able to apply under the UT pool in MBBS course at GMCH-32.

The requisite certificate for permanent address issued by the respective competent authority will be taken as the proof for this purpose. The decision was taken by UT Adviser Dharam Pal after a series of meetings.

The MBBS seats in GMCH-32 have two pools i.e. 15% seats in central pool and 85% seats in UT pool. The central pool seats are filled by the Central Government, while the UT pool seats are filled locally by the admission committee as per the criteria fixed by the UT Administration.

For the past 10 years, wards of serving Defence personnel/ex-servicemen were allowed in the UT pool seats irrespective of domicile status of their parents and schooling of candidates. For example, a ward of Defence personnel serving in Mumbai, who had never studied in UT Chandigarh, was allowed in the UT pool seats.

The Home Department, Chandigarh Administration, in 2007 decided to waive the domiciliary restrictions of minimum stay in the states/UTs and condition of passing class 10 and 12 from the same state/UT in respect of wards of serving Defence personnel/ex-servicemen, seeking admission in the institutions of UT Chandigarh.

In 2008, the administration decided to consider the wards of service Defence personnel/ex-servicemen under 85% quota. Till then, there was no reservation for wards of Defence personnel in medical admissions in GMCH-32.

A case was filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court challenging the exceptions/waiver of domicile to the Defence personnel for admission against UT pool seats in MBBS course in GMCH-32 and the petitioner had asked for quashing the exemption or putting a cap on the number of admissions under the defence category.

In 2021-2022, 20 students under the category of wards of Defence personnel got admission in the course. In some cases, defence personnel belonged to other states/UTs and their wards had neither resided in Chandigarh nor studied in UT schools.

Eligibility criteria for UT Pool

Completed Class X, XI & XII from UT schools/colleges as regular student

OR

Parents UT residents for past 5 years, immediately preceding date of application

OR

Wards of Central/state government on deputation to UT, including staff of UT Admn/autonomous bodies/firms in which UT has 20% or more share, for past 3 years

OR

Wards of serving Defence personnel/ex-servicemen having permanent address of UT in service record, at the time of entry into defence services

Candidates in all four categories will have to give undertaking of not having opted for/claimed benefit of residence in any other state/UT other than Chandigarh after NEET result. Ineligible Defence wards, who otherwise meet any of the other three requirements, can apply under the quota