Supreme Court authorized a stray vacancy round to fill all vacant seats

Online counseling for special stray vacancy commenced on November 7

5 percentile point reduction in cutoff for selection in UGNEET-2023

This year, a total of 11,595 MBBS and 3,405 BDS seats were available in the state across various quotas. The Supreme Court authorized a special stray vacancy round earlier in the year to fill all vacant seats in MBBS, BDS, and BSc nursing programs nationwide.

In Karnataka, online counseling for the special stray vacancy commenced on November 7, resulting in the allocation of all 152 vacant MBBS seats.

According to data from the Directorate of Medical Examination (DME), the number of vacant BDS seats decreased from 691 out of 2,810 last year to 187 this year, with 33 seats filled during the special stray round. The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) managed the allocation of all MBBS and BDS seats, including those under the management quota.

The increased transparency introduced by the National Medical Commission (NMC) in the counseling process, routing admissions for all seats through KEA, is one of the factors contributing to the full occupancy of MBBS seats this year.

Sujatha Rathod, director of medical education, attributed the reduction in vacant BDS seats to the implementation of additional counseling rounds, following the Supreme Court directive. She clarified that the permission for more rounds resulted in a higher uptake of seats.

The National Commission for Indian System of Medicine has announced a 5 percentile point reduction in the cutoff for selection in UGNEET-2023 for admission to UG AYUSH courses.

Candidates meeting the eligibility criteria can register, submit applications, and pay fees online to participate in the stray vacancy round for seat allotment.