235 Nursing Colleges Clock Zero Intake Under Govt Quota

Nursing colleges in Karnataka are in for a rude shock. As many as 235 out of 299 nursing colleges have clocked zero admission for BSc nursing course under government quota this year!

Worse, just three colleges managed to fill the entire 20 per cent of the seats reserved under government quota, at the end of the seat-selection process for para-medical courses that concluded on Thursday.

The figures are more shocking in colleges offering Bachelor of Physiotherapy courses. Not a single seat was allotted in 30 out of 38 colleges, leaving 403 out of 425 seats vacant. In Pharmacy too, 683 out of 805 seats have gone abegging, with 28 colleges clocking zero admission. In all, 4,454 out of 4,983 paramedical seats are vacant.

“This is a result of the government’s decision to grant permission to some 900 colleges in a matter of just two years. I have given a detailed report on how many of these colleges are unfit to even exist, let alone offer courses. But the government is silent on my report,’’ an angry Dr C M Gurumurthy, chairman of the task force on paramedical courses, said.

Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences which conducted the counselling for para-medical seats under government quota this year will hand over all unfilled seats to private college managements. Shocked by the government quota admissions, many colleges are now planning to close down. The deadline to complete admission is September 31.

Medical Education Minister Ramachandra Gowda says he is helpless. “What can the government do if students do not want to join nursing and physiotherapy courses? Joining a BPO today will fetch more than doing a BSc nursing course for three years. The solution is very simple: without students, the colleges will shut down on their own,’’ the Minister said.

None of the six government nursing colleges, too, have managed to attract students. At VIMS College of Nursing, Bellary, just two students (against 50 seats) have been admitted. “We are planning to hold a walk-in interview for all unfilled seats in government colleges. Anybody can walk in and seek admission,’’ Gowda said.

ADMISSION UNDER GOVERNMENT

QUOTA FOR 2008-09

Course	Colleges	Seats	Vacant Seats
BSc Nursing	299	3,573	3,368
BPharma	68	805	683
BPT	38	425	403