The National Informatics Centre has successfully designed and implemented an on-line computerized allotment and display system for the all-India undergraduate quota for admission to MBBS/BDS courses, 1993.
Earlier, the Supreme Court of India had taken note of the problems in the scheme for allotment of MBBS/BDS seats and ordered modifications. The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, which is responsible for allotment of seats under the scheme, entrusted NIC with the task of designing and implementing an on-line computerized allotment and display system.
The System designed by NIC provides an on-line computerized seat-allocation system along with teletext display of the latest seat status in each college, on multiple television monitors.
The computerized system maintains a database of approved colleges and respective vacancies, in the computer. It also contains details of candidates such as rank number, roll number, name, address etc. For allotment of seats, candidates have to appear in person in front of a committee as per the schedule announced by DGHS. On the day of personal appearance, the candidate is called in order of merit and can choose any one of the seats available for allotment at his/her rank. The choice is fed on-line into the computer, and the allotment process is completed by upgrading the database. The overall process executed in the computer is also shown online on a large screen-projection system attached to the computer. The system thus provides a transparent allotment process.
In the teletext display, multiple television monitors are hooked on to the main computer. These TV monitors display the seat status in screens, and the candidates are able to view the latest number of seats vacant in various MBBS/BDS colleges. Each TV screen shows the vacancies for eight colleges, and in each monitor, several screens roll one after the other at 25 seconds intervals. The number of seats for a particular college decreases with each allotment for that college. The college, against which the code NA is displayed on the screen, has no more seats available for allotment.
The teletext display helps the candidates in selecting a college of his/her choice based on the availability of seats. The computerized allocation system not only makes the admission procedure foolproof but also cuts down on the time required to a great extent expediting the entire process.