used high-cost chemotherapy drugs are also supplied free. Recently, Bone Marrow Transplantation is also being practised in this centre. RCC, JIPMER is the only hospital in southern India to provide free cancer treatment, as is also done for other advanced medical services, such as pulmonary medicine, nephrology, gastroenterology etc. Academics Since its designation as an Institute of National Importance, JIPMER is a university by itself, and awards its own degrees. Prior to that, it was affiliated to Pondicherry University. JIPMER offers a number of medical, nursing and paramedical courses at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Admissions to all the courses are based on merit. The institute conducts research in modern medicine, public health and medical education. A research council at the institute level oversees the research activities and a scientific society provides a forum for presenting research work. Numerous conferences, workshops, seminars and training courses are conducted by the institute every year. Funds for research come from intramural and extramural sources such as the ICMR, UGC, DBT, WHO, etc. The institute's faculty, residents and students regularly publish research papers in journals of national and international repute and research abstracts at national and international conferences. Courses JIPMER offers a variety of courses. Undergraduate courses include MBBS, B.Sc. (Medical Laboratory Technology), B.Sc. (Allied Medical Sciences - Cardiac Lab Technology / Dialysis / Neuro / OT), BMRSc (Bachelor of Medical Record Science). B.Sc. (Nursing) was started in 2006. Postgraduate courses include MDS,MD, MS, and diploma in many specialties, M.Sc. in nursing, Medical Biochemistry and Medical Physiology and PhD in several subjects. Super-specialty courses include MCh in Surgical Oncology, Cardiothoracic & vascular surgery, Urology, Neurosurgery, Plastic surgery, Paediatric surgery, Surgical gastroenterology and DM in Cardiology, Neurology, Nephrology, Neonatology, Clinical pharmacology, Clinical immunology and Endocrinology. In January 2014 JIPMER started master's in public health(MPH) course, Emergency Medical Technician course MRO and MRT. Admission Candidates to the courses offered at JIPMER are selected based on All-India level entrance tests NEET and INI-CET. Entrance examinations are held once a year for undergraduate seats and twice a year for post-graduate seats. Calls for applications and results of these examinations (including the names of selected candidates) are announced in major national newspapers as well as on the institute's website. MBBS course JIPMER currently admits 249 students to the MBBS course once every year through an all-India entrance examination. Some seats are reserved for Puducherry natives and Central Government nominations.