Panaji: Despite Goa having added a number of new nursing colleges offering graduate programmes over the last three years, nearly all of the 340 seats have been filled after the criteria for admissions was relaxed for nursing programmes from this year. The last few years have seen educational trusts and organisations linked to chief minister Pramod Sawant, health minister Vishwajit Rane and former chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar establishing their own nursing colleges.Until the academic year 2025-26, there was a cut off of around 50% at NEET (UG) for admissions to nursing institutes in Goa. But the State Nursing Council decided that this criteria be relaxed from the year 2026-27, officials said, as it was found that there is no such equivalent cut off implemented for nursing admissions in other states.“It was found that other states have varied criteria for admissions to nursing graduate programmes and there is no standard criteria. States like Tamil Nadu still consider Class XII marks only for admissions. As admissions to all other professional programmes in Goa are either covered under JEE or NEET, it was decided to have NEET as criteria for nursing admissions as the state otherwise has to conduct another test just for nursing. But it was seen that some students were being left out despite availability of seats in Goa due to low NEET score,” said an official.Therefore, it was decided this year that 45% marks in physics, chemistry and biology at Class XII for general category students and 40% for reserved category are sufficient for admissions to nursing programmes, provided they have just answered NEET, without any cut off.“Last year, all nursing seats were nearly full. But only Vrundavan Institute of Nursing Education had vacant seats. Now with the relaxation, only 10 seats in Vrundavan are vacant with all other institutes having no vacant seats left. Another admission round will be held this month to fill these seats,” said the official.Until a few years ago, Goa only had two nursing colleges offering graduate programmes: the state-run Institute of Nursing Education, Bambolim, with a present intake of 110, and Vrundavan Institute of Nursing Education, Colvale, with a current capacity of 50 seats.Over the last few years, Harmal Panchakroshi College of Nursing, Pernem, Sai Nursing Institute, Sanquelim, Bhumika Nursing College, Sattari, and the state’s Institute of Nursing, Margao, for South Goa were made operational.Harmal Panchakroshi, run by former chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar, has an intake of 30 students, while Sai Institute, operated by chief minister Pramod Sawant’s trust, has 66 seats on offer. Health minister Vishwajit Rane-linked Sattari institute has an intake of 40 students.The state’s own Margao institute has 44 seats on offer.
