Ahmedabad: The admission process for postgraduate medical courses entered a crucial stage with the announcement of the third round of the All India Quota (AIQ). Initially scheduled to conclude by Feb 11, the joining deadline was extended to Feb 13.
As a result, the state quota admission process will also begin four days later than planned, with joining now set for Feb 19.The delay followed prolonged uncertainty over whether the third round would be conducted, as a case was pending in the Supreme Court. Additionally, percentile cut-offs were reduced earlier, prompting fresh registrations. For the unreserved category, the cut-off was lowered to 7 percentile, while for reserved categories it was set at 0 percentile.
This move allowed more candidates to participate in the admission process.Sources from the admission committee said that the revised schedule was necessary to accommodate the AIQ joining deadline. Consequently, the state quota process, originally slated to begin on Feb 10, will now start on Feb 14. After the third round, an additional round will be held to fill seats that remain vacant, with the entire process expected to conclude by Feb 28.The reduced percentile led to significant reshuffling. A total of 214 students who secured seats under the AIQ vacated their state quota admissions. This increased the number of vacant seats at the state level to nearly 900. Officials anticipate further vacancies once the third round is completed, highlighting the fluid nature of the ongoing admission cycle.
