Medical Admissions: Stalin speaks to PM Modi on OBC reservation

CHENNAI: Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) President M K Stalin on Monday spoke to Prime Minister, Narendra Modi on the issue of Other Backward Class (OBC) reservation in medical seats surrendered to All-India Quota (AIQ) and urged implementing a Madras High Court direction to Central government on the matter, the party said.

Stalin had a telephonic conversation with Modi, where he referred to the court direction to the Centre to constitute a committee to decide on the issue of providing OBC reservation in all-India seats surrendered by Tamil Nadu for medical admission.

He urged the Prime Minister that the committee, comprising representatives from the Centre, state and Medical Council of India (MCI), be constituted within three months in line with the court directive, a DMK release said.

Stalin had last week dialled the country's top political leaders, including Congress President Sonia Gandhi and CPI (M) General Secretary, Sitaram Yechury, seeking their cooperation in "exerting pressure" on the Centre to provide OBC reservation in medical seats surrendered to All-India Quota (AIQ).

Madras HC decision on OBC quota in medical colleges

On the issue of OBC reservation under All India Quota (AIQ) seats in medical and dental colleges, the Madras High Court on July 27, 2020, had directed the central government to form a committee to make a decision. The committee will include the representative from the centre, state and MCI. As per the Cheif Justice AP Sahi and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy stated that any decision made by the committee will be implemented from next year onwards.

In undergraduate and postgraduate courses offered through the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test - NEET, a total of 15 per cent and 50 per cent seats in medical and dental colleges are offered to AIQ seats, while counselling is conducted centrally and as per the central reservation norms.

A plea was earlier filed at the Madras High Court mentioning no OBC reservation for category candidates since 2017 in UG and PG courses. 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.

Also read:

• NEET SS 2020 registration started at nbe.edu.in
• Medical aspirant moves HC seeking NEET exemption for overseas course

Write to us at news@careers360.com