Bhubaneswar, May 12: The state has 900 MBBS seats, which is far less than the number of MBBS aspirants from Odisha. As many as 35,000 students take the All-India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT) every year.

The figure is significant especially in the wake of the Supreme Court recently ordering to make National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) mandatory across the country.

Though there are three private medical colleges in the state, the MCI had slashed the seats of two colleges last academic year. While 50 seats of Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) were slashed for the year 2015-16, the Hitech Medical College in Rourkela had to lose 100 seats. To add to this, the Supreme Court on May 6 fined KIMS Rs 5 crore for increasing the number of seats from 100 to 150 during 2015-16 session ignoring restrictions by Medical Council of India.

The court has also restrained KIMS from increasing the intake of students from 100 to 150 for the MBBS course for the academic years 2016-17 and 2017-2018. The order came on an appeal filed by the Medical Council of India challenging Orissa High Court's verdict that had permitted KIMS to admit additional 50 students in academic year 2015-16. Similarly, the Hitech Medical College has admitted 100 students on basis of a permission from high court.

Kalahandi-based Sardar Rajas Medical College has been indefinitely closed following several months of student protests. "Preparing for a medical seat not just takes years of hard work but also means paying huge fees at the coaching institutes. The state must open more MBBS seats," said Rumalin Praharaj, an aspirant.

The state government has also been trying to increase MBBS seats at the VSS Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (Vimsar), Burla, and MKCG Medical College and Hospital, Berhampur, from 150 to 250, since 2012-13. However, the MCI has denied permission to do so citing lack of infrastructure and faculty.

The SCB Medical College, which has the highest MBBS seat strength at 250, struggles with limited infrastructure.