File picture of students at SCB Medical College, Cuttack

Bhubaneswar, July 18: The Supreme Court’s decision to quash the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to medical courses today will not effect the medical counselling by the Odisha Joint Entrance Examination (OJEE) scheduled to be conducted from July 22 to 25.

A total of 11,121 candidates from the state have qualified NEET for undergraduate studies. The court’s decision has triggered confusion among medical aspirants, parents and colleges across the state. The order means that no admissions to medical and dental colleges can be made through NEET. This means that students aspiring for medical seats will continue to take multiple tests. The court has, however, stated that admissions already made through NEET will not be affected.

The confusion was evident from hundreds of phone calls from curious students and guardians to the OJEE office at Gandamunda on its helpline.

“I received a call from my friend, who has also qualified NEET. She had watched it on TV. We had been trying to reach the OJEE officials since then to know the status but could not get through,” said Pruavi, an aspirant.

“A lot of queries are coming in and we want to tell the students through the media that there is nothing to panic as the court has said that admissions already made through NEET will not be affected by this order. Moreover, we have not received any communication from the state government,” said OJEE secretary Priyabrata Sahoo.

“As many as 4,000 students have registered for the counselling for around 750 MBBS and 150 BDS seats. Counselling will be held for 85 per cent state quota seats,” Sahoo said.

The counselling for admission to MBBS and BDS courses in the state’s medical colleges through NEET will be conducted from July 22 to 25 through centralised counselling at the Institute of Engineers hall, he said.

Reacting to the judgment Purvaprabha Tripathy, a student, said: “The judgment would help private colleges which are charging more fees.”

According to the revised seat matrix, three government medical colleges — SCB Medical College in Cuttack, MKCG Medical College in Berhampur and VSS Medical College in Burla — have 212, 128 and 128 seats, respectively. Besides, three more private colleges, including Hitech Medical Colleges in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela, and newly set up Sardar Rajas Medical College at Jaring in Kalahandi, have 100 seats each. The SCB and Hitech Dental College have 50 and 100 BDS seats, respectively.

While the annual fee is Rs 25,000 for MBBS and BDS in the government colleges, it is Rs 4.25 lakh for MBBS and Rs 2.10 lakh for BDS in the private colleges.