Only 68 takers, 496 BDS seats go vacant

Tribune News Service
Faridkot, January 29

Yet another attempt by Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS) to fill 564 vacant BDS seats (of the total 1,140) in dental colleges across the state has failed to get the desired result. The medical university could fill only 68 vacant seats in the fifth and final round of counselling, which concluded today, leaving 496 vacant.

Though many dental colleges have offered a huge waiver in tuition fee, they have failed to attract sufficient number of students.

colleges fear closure

Managements of some dental colleges are fearing closure, as is the case with nursing colleges in the state. They rue IELTS has come as a big hurdle in the way of state dental and nursing institutes. Earlier, nursing and dental graduate degrees were preferred by young girls planning to go abroad, but now, after passing IELTS, most of the aspirants prefer to go abroad on a study visa.

For the fifth round of counselling, the BFUHS had even invited applications from new candidates who had not applied or registered earlier. Despite some dental colleges offering waiver and concession in tuition fee to lure students, there were very few candidates who applied afresh for admission to vacant seats.

The management of some dental colleges said they were facing closure, like the one faced by nursing colleges. They rued IELTS had come as a big block in the way of state dental and nursing institutes. Earlier, nursing and dental graduate degrees were most preferred by young girls planning to go abroad, but now, after passing IELTS, most of the aspirants prefer to go abroad on a study visa to pursue nursing there.

The economic condition of most of the nursing colleges, in the absence of adequate number of students, can be gauged from the fact that more than 75 nursing colleges in Punjab are defaulter in paying the miscellaneous annual charges to the BFUHS.

Other than causing a huge financial loss to dental colleges, the remaining vacant about 500 BDS seats was a big economic loss to the state economy, said a member of Private Medical and Dental Colleges’ Association.

For a four-year BDS course, a student has to pay Rs 1.65 lakh and Rs 2.2 lakh per year tuition fee on the government and management quota seat, respectively, with a 10 per cent increase in the fee every year. It is loss of over Rs 43 crore to the state economy when 500 seats remain vacant.

In Punjab, there are 15 dental colleges, including two government, at Amritsar and Patiala. These colleges have 1,140 BDS seats.

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