The Telangana government has revised the admission rules for medical and dental colleges following the expiration of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act of 2014. This amendment aims to provide clarity on local and non-local candidate criteria, admission quotas, and reservation policies for undergraduate medical and dental courses.
Background of the Reorganization Act
The Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act of 2014 allowed the continuation of existing admission quotas and processes for ten years. This legislation maintained the common admission process for government and private educational institutions, as outlined in Article 371-D of the Indian Constitution. With the expiration of this ten-year period, the Telangana government has issued amendments to its medical and dental college admission rules to reflect changes in reservation and eligibility criteria.
Key Amendments to the Admission Rules
The amendments to the Telangana Medical and Dental Colleges Admissions Rules, initially established in 2017, introduce several significant changes. These changes focus on local candidate criteria, reservation quotas, and candidate eligibility for medical and dental undergraduate courses.
Local Candidate Criteria
Under the revised rules, a candidate is considered a local candidate in the State of Telangana if:
- The candidate has studied in educational institutions within the local area for at least four consecutive academic years, concluding with the year they first appeared for the relevant qualifying examination.
- If a candidate did not study in any educational institutions, they must have resided in the local area for at least four years immediately preceding the relevant qualifying examination.
The “local area” is defined as the State of Telangana, including districts like Adilabad, Hyderabad, Karimnagar, Warangal, and others.
Eligibility for Non-local Candidates
Non-local candidates can apply for admission if:
- They have studied in educational institutions within the State of Telangana for a minimum of seven consecutive academic years, ending with the qualifying examination year.
- They have not studied in educational institutions within any local area but have resided in the State for the entire seven-year period.
Reservation Quotas
The revised rules modify reservation quotas for specific communities. Key changes include:
- Scheduled Tribes (ST): 10% of seats in each course are reserved for ST candidates.
- Scheduled Castes (SC), ST, and Backward Classes (BC): The reservations are 15%, 10%, and 29%, respectively.
Deletion of Specific Clauses
Several clauses and sub-rules have been deleted to streamline the admission process. Notably, sub-rule (III) and certain clauses within sub-rule (II) and rule 4 have been removed.
Additional Candidate Categories
In addition to local and non-local candidates, certain categories of candidates are eligible to apply for admission to the remaining 15% of seats:
- Candidates who have resided in the State for a total of ten years, excluding periods of study outside the State.
- Children of parents employed by the State or Central Government, public sector corporations, or recognized educational institutions within the State.
- Spouses of those employed by the State or Central Government and related bodies within the State.
Unreserved Seat Allocation
If a local candidate is unavailable for a reserved seat in a local area, the seat will be filled as unreserved, following the order of ranking in the Common Merit List.
Definitions of Local Areas
The local areas within Telangana are defined as follows:
- Osmania University Local Area: Includes districts like Adilabad, Hyderabad, Rangareddy, Karimnagar, Medak, Mahaboobnagar, Nalgonda, Nizamabad, and Warangal.
- Andhra University Local Area: Comprises districts such as Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Vishakapatnam, East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur, and Prakasham.
- Sri Venkateswara University Local Area: Includes Ananthapur, Kurnool, Chittoor, Cuddapah, and Nellore districts.
Order:
1. Section 95 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 (Central Act No. 6 of 2014) stipulates that existing admission quotas in all government or private, aided or unaided, institutions of higher, technical, and medical education will continue as provided under Article 371-D of the Constitution for a period of ten years, during which the existing common admission process will remain in place.
2. Upon the expiry of the ten-year period specified in Section 95 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, the government, after careful examination, has decided to amend the Telangana Medical and Dental Colleges Admissions (Admissions into Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, and Bachelor of Dental Surgery Courses) Rules, 2017, issued in G.O.Ms.No.114, HM & FW (C1) Department, dated 05.07.2017, and subsequently amended from time to time as per references 3 to 8 above.
3. Accordingly, the following notification shall be published in the Telangana Gazette, dated: 22.07.2024.
Notification:
In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 3, read with sub-section (1) of the Telangana Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admission and Prohibition of Capitation Fee) Act, 1983, the government hereby makes the following amendments to the Telangana Medical and Dental Colleges Admissions (Admissions into Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, and Bachelor of Dental Surgery Courses) Rules, 2017, issued vide G.O.Ms.No.114, HM & FW (C1) Department, dated 05.07.2017, and as subsequently amended from time to time.
Amendment:
In the said rules:
- In Rule 3, for sub-rule (a), the following shall be substituted:
- (a) A candidate for admission into undergraduate courses under the ‘Competent Authority Quota’ in Telangana should be an Indian National/Person of Indian Origin (PIO)/Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholder and shall fulfill the following provisions:
- (i) If the candidate has studied in educational institutions in such a local area for a period of not less than four consecutive academic years ending with the academic year in which they appeared or first appeared in the relevant qualifying examination.
- (ii) If the candidate has not studied in any educational institutions during the whole or part of the four consecutive academic years ending with the academic year in which they appeared or first appeared for the relevant qualifying examination, they should have resided in that local area for a period of not less than four years immediately preceding the date of commencement of the relevant qualifying examination.
- (iii) The local area herein refers to the State of Telangana. Further, if the candidate has not studied in any educational institution and has resided in the local area as stated above, to be eligible for admission into undergraduate courses under the ‘Competent Authority Quota,’ the candidate should have appeared for the relevant qualifying examination in the State of Telangana.
- (a) A candidate for admission into undergraduate courses under the ‘Competent Authority Quota’ in Telangana should be an Indian National/Person of Indian Origin (PIO)/Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholder and shall fulfill the following provisions:
- In sub-rule (II),
- (i) For clause (b), the following shall be substituted:
- (b) 10% of seats in each course shall be reserved for candidates belonging to Scheduled Tribes.
- (ii) Clause (d) and clause (e) shall be deleted.
- (i) For clause (b), the following shall be substituted:
- Sub-rule (III) shall be deleted.
- In sub-rule (V), for clause (a), the following shall be substituted:
- (a) The reservation for SC, ST, and BCs shall be 15%, 10%, and 29%, respectively.
- In Rule 4, sub-rule (viii) and sub-rule (ix) shall be deleted.
- In Rule 5, sub-rule (v) shall be deleted.
By Order and in the Name of the Governor of Telangana,
Dr. Christina Z. Chongthu
Secretary to Government
Explanations:
(A) “The Local Areas” means:
- (a) The part of the State comprising the Districts of Adilabad, Hyderabad (including Twin Cities), Rangareddy, Karimnagar, Khammam, Medak, Mahaboobnagar, Nalgonda, Nizamabad, and Warangal shall be regarded as the Osmania University Local Area (Telangana).
- (b) The part of the state comprising the Districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Vishakapatnam, East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur, and Prakasham shall be regarded as the Andhra University Local Area (Andhra).
- (c) The part of the State comprising the Districts of Ananthapur, Kurnool, Chittoor, Cuddapah, and Nellore shall be regarded as the Sri Venkateswara University Local Area (Rayalaseema).
(B) The Local Candidate:
- A candidate for admission shall be regarded as a local candidate in relation to a local area if:
- (a) They have studied in educational institutions in such a local area for a period of not less than four consecutive academic years ending with the academic year in which they appeared or first appeared in the relevant qualifying examination.
- (b) If they have not studied in any educational institutions during the whole or part of the four consecutive academic years ending with the academic year in which they appeared or first appeared for the relevant qualifying examination, they should have resided in that local area for a period of not less than four years immediately preceding the date of commencement of the relevant qualifying examination.
(C) A Candidate for Admission:
- If a candidate is not regarded as a local candidate under clause (A) in relation to any local area, they shall:
- (i) If they have studied in educational institutions in the State for a period of not less than seven consecutive academic years ending with the academic year in which they appeared or first appeared for the relevant qualifying examination, they shall be regarded as a local candidate in relation to:
- Such a local area where they have studied for the maximum period out of the said period of seven years.
- (ii) If they have not studied in any educational institutions in any local area but have resided in the State during the whole of the said period of seven years, they shall be regarded as a local candidate in relation to:
- Such a local area where they have resided for the maximum period out of the said period of seven years.
- (i) If they have studied in educational institutions in the State for a period of not less than seven consecutive academic years ending with the academic year in which they appeared or first appeared for the relevant qualifying examination, they shall be regarded as a local candidate in relation to:
(D) The following categories of candidates are eligible to apply for admission to the remaining 15% seats:
- (a) All candidates eligible to be declared as local candidates.
- (b) Candidates who have resided in the State for a total period of 10 years excluding periods of study outside the State or either of whose parents have resided in the State for a total period of ten years excluding periods of employment outside the State.
- (c) Candidates who are children of parents who are in employment of the State or Central Government, Public Sector Corporations, Local Bodies, Universities, and Educational Institutions recognized by the Government or University or other Competent Authority and similar quasi-Government institutions within the State.
- (d) Candidates who are spouses of those in the employment of the State or Central Government, Public Sector Corporations, Local Bodies, Universities, and Educational Institutions recognized by the Government or University or other Competent Authority and similar quasi-Government institutions within the State.
**(E) If a local candidate in respect of a local area is not available to fill any seat reserved or allocated in favor of a local candidate in respect of that local area, such seat shall be filled as if it has been unreserved, in the order of ranking assigned in the Common Merit List.
Conclusion
These revised admission rules aim to enhance transparency and fairness in the selection process for medical and dental colleges in Telangana. By clearly defining local candidate criteria, reservation quotas, and eligibility for non-local candidates, the government seeks to ensure equitable access to education while maintaining the quality and competitiveness of its medical and dental programs. The changes reflect the State’s commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive academic environment for aspiring medical professionals.