Admission Process for DU's Medical Courses Delayed by Two Months

The process for admission to undergraduate and post-graduate courses in Ayurvedic, Unani and Homeopathic medicine at the Delhi University (DU) has been delayed by more than two months, reportedly due to some “confusion” over communication received from the AYUSH Ministry on July 4, 2017, the varsity officials said.
Following the declaration of results for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to undergraduate medical courses, the Ministry had on July 3, 2017, sent a letter to all state authorities, stating that a “common counselling session” would be held for admission to both undergraduate and post-graduate courses in academic session 2017-18. The Ministry looks after education and research in Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, and Homeopathy, among other subjects.
In another letter sent the very next day, however, the Ministry asked the authorities to keep the earlier order in “abeyance”. “It has been directed that the letter dated July 3, 2017, may be kept in abeyance till further order of the Ministry,” the letter read.
According to officials at the varsity’s Department of Medical Sciences, there has been no communication from the Ministry since then. “The university authorities were under the impression that some notification will be received regarding the admission process. We have written to the Ministry twice since then, but to no avail,” a senior official said.
The Ministry officials, at the same time, claimed that all other universities and institutes have already begun their admission process and there must be some “confusion”. “All other universities and colleges are about to wrap up their admission process in these courses. We have no idea what made the Delhi University wait for so long,” a senior AYUSH official said.
Meanwhile, to avoid any further delay, the DU has decided to conduct its own counselling session. “In a meeting held last Friday, officials at the Department of Medical Sciences decided that the varsity will begin its own admission procedure,” Imtiaz Ahmed, a member of the Admission Committee for Medical Sciences, said. The department has also issued a notification and forms in this regard on its website.
The DU offers Bachelor courses in Unani Medicine and Surgery (BUMS), Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS), and Homeopathy (BHMS) courses, for which the admission process begins in August every year.
Calling the Ministry’s directions a “threat” for the university’s autonomy, the Delhi University’s Executive Committee member and Assistant Professor Rajesh Jha said: “Decisions related to the admission should be taken independently by the universities as any interference by the Centre will create confusion that can hamper the admission process in future as well.”