Counselling for admission to the MBBS seats for the academic year 2010-11 in Chennai got under way on Monday.

Handing over admission letters to 12 toppers who had scored 200 out of 200 in all the four subjects, Health Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam said that the second phase of counselling for admission to the three government medical colleges in Dharmapuri, Tiruvarur and Villupuram was likely by the third week of July.

The MCI teams that inspected the colleges had expressed satisfaction, and the decision on admission to the colleges would be taken in the first week of July, said Health Department officials.

At the end of the first day, 78 students, including the toppers, were allotted seats in various medical colleges in the State, said Sheela Grace, Secretary, Selection Committee. Second-ranked B. Abinaya did not turn up for counselling. Madras Medical College, Chennai, continues to be the preferred institution for medical education, with all the seats in the open category taken on the first day of admission itself. Earlier in the day, 32 MBBS seats and 2 BDS seats were allotted to physically challenged students, 3 MBBS seats under sports quota and 2 MBBS seats for children of ex-servicemen.

On Tuesday, counselling will be held for open competition for all communities, for which the cut-off will be 197.75. On June 30, counselling for Backward Classes with a cut-off of 195.75 will be held. On July 1, students belonging to MBC (cut-off 193.75) and Backward Class Muslims (194.25) will be held. Counselling for SC (cut-off 189.50), SC Arundathiar (185.25) and ST (180.25) candidates will be on July 2, the last day of counselling.

Candidates absent for the first phase of counselling would not be able to attend the second phase.