Candidates at the counselling centre in Bhubaneswar on Friday. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, April 20: The counselling for medical postgraduate course was postponed for an indefinite period following protests by a section of fresh MBBS graduates.

The selection committee decided to cancel the counselling for today, but a new date was yet to be decided.

Both fresh MBBS graduates and in-service doctors can apply for the postgraduate studies, but today’s counselling session was meant for fresh graduates.

It was cancelled after a section of them demanded that counselling for the in-service doctors who had applied for the course be completed first so that the number of available seats for the MBBS graduates was known.

Today was the second day of postgraduate counselling. Yesterday’s counselling for in-service doctors had also been cancelled after opposition from a section of doctors.

However, the committee members said they would inform the high court and the Medical Council of India (MCI) about today’s incident. “After the court gives new directives, we will hold the counselling,” said Umakant Satpathy, the coordinator of the selection committee. There will be no counselling session tomorrow.

There are around 173 postgraduate seats for the state quota, for which 683 candidates, including 636 direct students, have been selected this year. Out of 173 seats, 87 are for in-service doctors and the rest for direct students.

This year, only 47 in-service doctors had been selected for postgraduate admission.

Some students said that after the counselling for in-service doctors was held every year, the remaining seats were given to direct students. As this year the counselling for in-service doctors could not be held, the remaining seats could not be allotted to direct students.

“As there was no counselling yesterday, there was no increase in the number of seats for direct students. Our children did not get more options,” said Sanjay Ketan Jena, the father of a medical student.

On April 19, the medical postgraduate council selection committee cancelled the process for in-service doctors after the 2012 batch rank holders opposed the overnight inclusion of some of the 2011 batch doctors in the merit list just before the counselling. Twenty-seven doctors of the 2011 batch who could not get admission to the course last year had obtained an order from the high court that they should be given grace marks and admitted to the course this year.

However, some students opposed the cancellation of counselling today saying that they had come from far off places and the authorities cancelled it after being pressurised by a small group of students.

“They could have taken the help of police and carried out the counselling. Instead, they cancelled it. We do not know when it will be held again. The government should take steps for the smooth conduct of the counselling,” said Vivek, a student.

The selection committee members said they were helpless if the students went on protesting. “We are carrying out the court’s directive. Now, we will again wait for the court’s order to hold the counselling,” said Satpathy.