The four-day counseling process of 13,000 students for the 1,160 MBBS and 294 Dental college seats in the Indian state of Gujarat started on Saturday July 5, 2008.

Admissions in medical, engineering and pharmacy colleges in Gujarat are based on the marks secured in GUJCET, a combined entrance exam for all professional streams, and the performance in Class XII board examination (HSC). Sixty percent weightage is given to the GUJCET score and 40 percent to HSC results.

Counseling session for students belonging to the physically challenged category and those who had appeared for the class XII exams under the CBSE board was completed on the first day.

This year, the Gujarat government has planned a new quota system for admission into medical colleges.

Under the system, 10 per cent of the seats have been reserved under the management quota, 15 per cent for NRI quota, 3 per cent for the handicapped and 49 percent for SC, ST and OBC categories. This takes the total reservation in medical colleges to 77 percent.

Students and Parents Associations have called the new quota system as 'unconstitutional' and challenged it before the Gujarat High Court. On Friday, a division bench refused to put a stay on the admissions this year, and said that any changes to the government plan arising out of the petition before the court would be effective only from the next academic year.