Tamil Nadu: Madras HC upholds 7.5% quota for govt school students in medical colleges

NEW DELHI: The Madras High Court on Thursday upheld Tamil Nadu government’s law providing 7.5% reservation to government school students in medical courses, according to Live Law.

A bench of Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy was hearing a batch of petitions challenging the constitutionality of the Act which provides admission to government school students to undergraduate courses in medicine, dentistry, Indian medicine and homeopathy, the report said.

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The aim of the state government behind the reservation is to uplift such students who are economically, socially and educationally backward. The petitioners had argued that the government is trying to bring class within a class through the reservation.

Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin welcomed the court’s judgment and tweeted, “Following medical education, when we came to power, we gave reservation to public school students in vocational courses! We charge tuition and accommodation fees! The High Court judgment #SocialJustice has shown that our every step in the journey is solid!

மருத்துவக் கல்வியைத் தொடர்ந்து, நாம் ஆட்சிக்கு வந்ததும், தொழிற்கல்விப் படிப்புகளில் அரசுப்பள்ளி மாணவர்களுக்கு #Reservation அளித்தோம்! கல்வி, விடுதிக் கட்டணங்களை ஏற்றோம்!

உயர்நீதிமன்றத் தீர்ப்பு #SocialJustice பயணத்தில் நம்முடைய ஒவ்வொரு அடியும் திடமானது எனக் காட்டியுள்ளது! pic.twitter.com/gGPLfnumrN

— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) April 7, 2022

In August 2021, the Tamil Nadu government moved a bill reserving 7.5% seats for government school students for admission to undergraduate professional courses in engineering, law, agriculture and others in all private and government colleges and universities. Stalin introduced the bill in the legislative assembly and said that the government has taken action to bring equality between the students of public and private schools.

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Stalin also announced on social media that a commission headed by Justice D Murugesan recommended the introduction of the bill. “As recommended by the commission headed by retired Justice D Murugesan, I have introduced a bill to provide 7.5% priority to public school students in admission to other undergraduate vocational courses, such as medicine,” MK Stalin said on social media.

Murugesan submitted a report which stated the gap between the government and private school students. A very few government school students are studying in government colleges and universities in Tamil Nadu, Stalin said.