Booking for OBC candidates under All India Quota is limited to central institutions, she said.
New Delhi:
Congress president Sonia Gandhi wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday to request the reservation of students from other backward classes (OBCs) in state medical schools as part of India’s eligibility quota National Entrance Test (NEET) – the country’s only entrance exam for undergraduate medical students. and dental students. She said OBC students have lost 11,000 seats since 2017 due to the reservation refusal.
“I would like to draw your attention to the refusal to book for OBC candidates under the All-India quota through the National Elibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), in state medical education establishments / UT”, she writes in the letter.
“Under the quota for all of India, 15%, 7.5% and 10% of the seats are reserved for candidates SC (listed castes), ST (listed tribes) and economically weaker respectively, in the establishments of central and state education / UT Medical. However, reservation for OBC candidates under All India Quota is limited to central institutions, “she added.
Gandhi said the refusal to book OBC students in public medical institutions is a barrier to access to medical education for deserving applicants.
“In the interests of equity and social justice, I urge the Union government to extend the reserve for OBC candidates in the quota of medical and dental seats across India, even in institutions State / UT Medical Education “.
All India Quota seats represent 15% of all MBBS seats and 50% of PG medical seats ceded by state governments to the Center. Students from across the country can request reservations.
In response to litigation by political parties in Tamil Nadu, Centra informed the Madras High Court last month that it was unlikely to admit students from other backward classes (OBC) under All India Quota in all government institutions, unless the Supreme Court resolves the pending issue.
The NEET exam, due to be held in May, has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic and national isolation. It is postponed until the end of this month. There have been calls to postpone the test amid steady growth in the number of coronaviruses across the country.
Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said Thursday that a committee made up of the director general of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and other experts would submit his recommendations to the ministry by Friday following requests to postpone the JEE and NEET exams.
