SHILLONG, OCT 3: The state government has decided to put on hold the acceptance of nominations for MBBS courses under the Central Pool quota.
This decision comes in response to opposition registered by the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) over alleged irregularities in the selection process.
A notification issued by the Deputy Secretary in-charge of Health and Family Welfare on October 2, announced that the dates for acceptance published on September 30, 2025, will remain suspended until further notice. However, nominations for other courses and MBBS at Shillong Medical College will continue as scheduled.
The KSU has alleged irregularities in the allotment of seats.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, KSU general secretary Donald V Thabah said the Directorate of Health Services has committed mistakes in the reservation policy, depriving Khasi students of their rightful places.
He said two non-tribal students, Diya Ghosh and Tanushka Chakravarty, have been selected for MBBS seats under the state quota despite several Khasi students scoring higher marks. Ghosh scored 472, while Chakravarty scored 442. However, a Khasi student scored 475, higher than Ghosh, and over seven Khasi students scored above Chakravarty.
Similar discrepancies were found in the Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine & Surgery (BAMS) list, where non-tribal candidates with lower scores were included in the waiting list ahead of Khasi students with higher scores.
“The state government should address and resolve this issue once and for all. It is not we are against anybody but it is as per norms for selection of candidates,” Thabah said while demanding the removal of the Scheduled Caste (SC) category since it is not included in the state’s reservation policy.
On Thursday, Thabah has alleged biasness in the selection process, stating that several Khasi students who scored higher marks than the two non-tribal students were overlooked.
Thabah claimed that one Khasi student scored higher than Ghosh, and more than seven Khasi students scored higher than Chakravarty, making them more deserving of the seats in the unreserved category.
“According to the list, several Khasi students who scored higher marks than the two non-tribal students have been overlooked for the unreserved category, despite being more meritorious. Notably, one Khasi student outscored Diya Ghosh, while over seven Khasi students scored higher than Tanushka Chakravarty…logically, if a Khasi student qualifies for the unreserved category, another Khasi student on the waiting list should be eligible for the Khasi-Jaintia category. However, the state government’s inclusion of Tanushka Chakravarty appears to have violated this principle, depriving a deserving Khasi student of their rightful place.”
The KSU leader questioned whether this discrepancy is due to governmental error, incompetence within the health department, or intentional favoritism towards Tanushka’s family, potentially due to their connections with influential government officials.
“Regardless, the KSU views this as a blatant attempt to undermine the rights of Khasi students, and such actions are likely to provoke further reaction from the union,”he warned.
Thabah further added, “The KSU has demanded that the state government immediately remove Tanushka Chakravarty’s name from the list and give the rightful seats to Khasi students.”
If the government fails to comply, the KSU has threatened to take to the streets to force the government to recognize the rights of Khasi students.
According to Thabah, this is not the first time the KSU has raised concerns about seat allotment; similar incidents were reported in 2020 regarding agriculture seats.
By Our Reporter
