New Delhi: Giving meritorious students a chance, the Supreme Court today (Sep 1, 2004) ordered Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) to fill 160 vacant seats in MBBS and Dental courses under the 15 per cent All India Medical Quota (AIMQ) even after completion of second round of counselling.

Since the creation of the 15 per cent quota of seats in Government medical colleges across the Country, DGHS had never conducted over two rounds of counselling after which the vacant seats used to go to the State Government quota.

Acting on two petitions filed by students who had figured in merit list prepared by Central Board of Secondary Education for AIMQ, a Bench comprising Justice Y K Sabharwal, Justice D M Dharmadhikari and Justice P K I Balasubramyan ordered that this extended counselling would not be open to those candidates who have already taken admission in MBBS.

Of the 160 vacant seats, 122 were in MBBS and 38 in BDS, the DGHS informed the Court today.

The DGHS would complete the "extended but limited" counselling by September 8, 2004 and the successful candidates would take admission by September 13, the Court ordered.

Students, who got BDS in the second round of counselling, could avail this opportunity to get into the MBBS course but could not use it to change the Dental college they were studying in, it said.

Seats remaining unfilled after the extended second round of counselling by DGHS would go to the State kitty, the Court said and asked the States to take timely steps to complete the admission process before September 30.