By Team Mangalorean Bangalore

BANGALORE, November 18, 2009: There seems to be lack of interest among students to take up a dental career in Karnataka.

Minister for Medical Education Ramanchadra Gowda on Tuesday revealed that 371 dental seats fall under the government quota have remained vacant in the current academic year in various dental colleges in the State. Students prefer engineering and medical courses and not dental, he pointed out.

However, all 1871 medical seats come under the Government quota had been filled in the current academic year.

Of the 791 dental seats in 37 colleges across the State, the Karnataka Examination Authority has allotted 420 seats and 371 seats remained unfilled.

The district-wise unfilled seats are - 151 seats in Bangalore Urban district, 12 seats in Kolar, one in Mysore, 12 in Hassan, five in Bijapur, three in Belgaum, 28 in Bagalkote, two in Dharwad, four in Gulbarga, 22 in Bidar, 33 in Raichur, seven in Kodagu, 20 in Dakshina kannada, 29 in Davanagere, 10 in Shimoga and 19 in Chitradurga district.

Mr Gowda said he would write to the Union Health Ministry to direct deemed universities in the State to set aside 25 per cent of the medical seats for poor and meritorious students. Now, the deemed universities don’t set aside any seats to poor and meritorious students, he said.

Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology of Bangalore will open its branches in Mysore and Hubli for the benefit of heart patients. The branch set up at the Mysore Medical College would be inaugurated soon. The required equipment and manpower from Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology would be deployed to the branch in Mysore, he said.

Mr Gowda said the Hubli branch would be established at the Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), Hubli, for the benefit of people in north Karnataka.