Srinagar, Oct 27, KNT: The All India Medical Students Association (AIMSA) has urged the Jammu and Kashmir Board of Professional Entrance Examinations (JKBOPEE) to abolish the Common Pool Quota and Rule 17 from its admission policy, terming these provisions discriminatory and inconsistent with national standards.
AIMSA Vice President Dr Mohammad Momin Khan appealed to JKBOPEE to take immediate corrective measures to align its admission process with the rest of the country. “We request the Jammu and Kashmir BOPEE to abolish the Common Pool Quota and Rule 17 provisions that exist nowhere else in India, only in J&K. Do it for fairness, merit, and better opportunities for students,” Dr Khan said.
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Khan told the news agency Kashmir News Trust that the continued existence of these provisions undermines the principle of equal opportunity for all aspirants, particularly medical students seeking admission to undergraduate and postgraduate professional courses. “These rules restrict merit-based selection and deprive deserving candidates of their rightful chances,” he added.
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Dr Khan emphasized that medical admissions must be guided strictly by national merit lists and standard eligibility criteria prescribed by the National Medical Commission (NMC) and the National Testing Agency (NTA). He said the association has received multiple representations from aggrieved students across Jammu and Kashmir, highlighting the negative impact of the current quota structure.
“The goal should be a transparent and merit-based system that treats every candidate equally,” Dr Khan said.
Rule 17 and the Common Pool Quota are specific provisions under the Jammu and Kashmir Board of Professional Entrance Examinations (JKBOPEE) regulations that govern admissions to professional courses such as MBBS, BDS, Engineering, and other allied programs.
Rule 17 allows for the allocation of certain seats based on administrative discretion, rather than strictly on open merit. Critics say this rule creates ambiguity and limits the number of seats available to general merit candidates, which they argue goes against the spirit of fair competition.
The Common Pool Quota, meanwhile, is a special category introduced to pool seats across different institutions or regions. However, this quota system does not exist elsewhere in India, and several student bodies claim it dilutes the merit list by accommodating candidates through non-standardized parameters.
According to AIMSA, both provisions place Jammu and Kashmir’s admission policy out of sync with the rest of the country’s National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) framework. Student associations argue that the system should be fully merit-driven, transparent, and aligned with the guidelines of the National Medical Commission (NMC) and Ministry of Education. [KNT]
