Form committee on OBC quota in AIQ: Madras HC to Centre

NEW DELHI: On the issue of whether to provide OBC reservation in All India Quota (AIQ) seats, the Madras High Court on July 27, 2020, directed the Central Government to constitute a committee to make a decision. The committee will include the representatives from the centre, state and Medical Council of India (MCI) and will be formed within three months reported the Press Trust of India (PTI)

The first bench of Chief Justice AP Sahi and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy also stated that any decision made by the committee will only be applicable from the next academic year. Also stating that there was no legal bar in providing OBC reservation in AIQ seats as contended by the MCI.

The decision to form a committee to make a verdict on the OBC reservation for AIQ seats is taken because of settled law that courts cannot interfere in policy matters of the government, unless in cases where fundamental rights are affected. "Reservation is not a legal or fundamental right," the court added, reported the Press Trust of India

OBC reservations in NEET UG and PG AIQ seats

In medical undergraduate and postgraduate courses in the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test- NEET, 15 percent and 50 percent seats, respectively, in state medical and dental colleges belong to the All India Quota and for them, counselling is conducted centrally and as per the central reservation policy.

However, the plea was earlier filed at the Madras High Court stating that there has been no reservation for OBC students since 2017 in either undergraduate or postgraduate seats. A submission to this effect was also made by the Centre, in response to a batch of PILs filed by major political parties, including the DMK, AIADMK, and PMK.

Pointing out that AIQ pool seats comprise 15 per cent of all MBBS seats and 50 per cent of PG medical seats surrendered by state governments to the Centre, these parties have been demanding 50 per cent reservation of seats for OBC students, as per the 69 per cent reservation formula in Tamil Nadu.

NEET UG is conducted for admission to 82,926 MBBS, 26,949 BDS, 52,720 AYUSH and 525 BVSc & AH, on the other hand, in NEET PG 10,821 Master of Surgery (MS) seats, 19,953 Doctor of Medicine (MD) seats and 1,979 PG Diploma seats are offered by 6,102 government, private, Deemed and Central Universities.

(With inputs from PTI)

Also read:
NEET 2020: Tamil Nadu approves 7.5 percent quota for government school students
NEET 2020 During COVID-19: AIIMS medical experts outline SOP for exam day

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