Engineering aspirants from other states wait outside an OJEE nodal centre in Bhubaneswar. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 11: A second phase of centralised counselling would be held at the College of Engineering and Technology (Cet) on September 12 and 13 to fill up vacant seats in government and private medical colleges under the Orissa Joint Entrance Examination (OJEE)-2011.

One MBBS and 34 dental/BDS (enhanced seats) are vacant at SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack, nine MBBS seats each are vacant at VSS Medical College and Hospital, Burla and MKCG Medical College and Hospital, Berhampur. At Hi-Tech, Bhubaneswar, a private medical college, 15 MBBS and 72 BDS seats are available.

OJEE authorities said there were 150 MBBS seats each in the three government medical colleges of the state. At Hi-Tech, there were 100 MBBS and 100 BDS (dental) seats. This year, a total of 2,203 medical aspirants had cleared the OJEE and the first phase of centralised counselling for them was held on July 14. Counselling for filling up the 15 per cent seats under the non-resident Indian (NRI) quota was conducted on August 10.

For the second round, candidates, who have secured general ranks up to 700 and are interested for admission, are required to report at CET on September 12 between 9am and 5.30pm. The remaining candidates (rank 701 to 2,203) have been invited for counselling the following day. The schedule is available on the OJEE website (www.odishajee.com), said an official.

The second phase of engineering e-counselling at 10 nodal centres across the state concluded this evening. The seat allotment list would be published on September 14 and the part admission fee deposit has to be done between September 15 and 17. After the end of the first round of web counselling, around 25,000 out of the 38,000-odd seats in the engineering stream remained unoccupied.

Keeping in view the large-scale vacancies in engineering and other disciplines such as MBA and MCA, the policy planning body of the OJEE had suggested to hold a second phase of counselling.

Orissa High Court admitted a writ appeal yesterday challenging its earlier judgment of introducing an eligibility criterion for OJEE – 45 per cent in Plus Two science for general students and 40 per cent for SC/ST candidates. As a result, nearly 1,500 students were disqualified from taking admissions.