Bengaluru: Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has received 109 new registrations for a special counselling round to fill 191 MBBS seats left vacant in the state after all previous rounds. In all, 153 students have entered options.The Medical Counselling Committee announced the special schedule after 2,000 seats remained vacant across India. KEA allowed candidates who had not registered earlier to apply online and participate.Candidates who have not been allotted a medical seat are eligible, while those allotted dental seats can participate only for medical seats. Students must pay a caution deposit of Rs 25 lakh for medical seats and Rs 1 lakh for dental seats.Mithesh Kumar Moodukonaje, founder of National PU Students, Parents and Teachers’ Association, said colleges have stopped sharply reducing fees after doing so during the final days of the previous round. He said lower-tier colleges were charging Rs 65 lakh to Rs 75 lakh, while top-tier colleges were quoting Rs 85 lakh to Rs 1 crore for seats.A medical college owner with 10 vacant seats on the KEA list said students who had planned to take a gap year and repeat National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test were reconsidering admission if the fees were affordable.According to KEA, Srinivasa Institute of Medical Research Centre, Mangaluru, has the most vacancies at 32, followed by PES University Institute of Medical Sciences and Research with 26 and Sri Chamundeshwari Medical College Hospital & Research Institute with 21. Bagalkot Medical College and Research Institute has 14 vacant seats.
