27% OBC reservation, 10% EWS in medical courses: Modi
What's the story
The central government on Thursday approved fresh reservations for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) under the All India Quota (AIQ) scheme for medical and dental courses.
A 27% reservation for OBC and 10% for EWS were announced for undergraduate, postgraduate, and diploma-level courses.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the move will "create a new paradigm of social justice."
Quote
Decision will help thousands get better opportunities, says PM
Modi tweeted, "Our government has taken a landmark decision for providing 27% reservation for OBCs and 10% reservation for Economically Weaker Section in the All India Quota scheme for undergraduate and postgraduate medical/dental courses from the current academic year."
"This will immensely help thousands of our youth every year get better opportunities and create a new paradigm of social justice in our country."
Details
Scheme to benefit 4,000 OBC, 1,550 EWS students every year
The Union Health Ministry said in a statement that the reservation will benefit MBBS, MD, MS, Diploma, BDS, and MDS courses starting the current 2021-22 academic year.
The decision will benefit 1,500 and 2,500 OBC students in MBBS and postgraduation courses, respectively, the Ministry said.
Further, it will benefit 550 and 1,000 EWS students in MBBS and postgraduation, respectively, it added.
Context
Modi directed ministries to formulate solution this week
A constitutional amendment was made in 2019, allowing 10% reservation for EWS.
Over the next two years, seats in medical and dental colleges were increased so as to ensure that the number of seats available in the unreserved category does not reduce. The EWS benefit had remained pending.
On Monday, Modi directed concerned ministries to formulate an effective solution, the Health Ministry said.
Information
MBBS seats have increased 56% since 2014
MBBS seats have increased by 56% between 2014 and 2020, up from 54,348 to 84,649. In the same period, the number of seats for postgraduate courses rose by 80% to 54,275. With 179 new colleges established during the period, India now has 558 medical colleges.
Quota scheme
What is All India Quota scheme?
The AIQ Scheme was launched in 1986 after a nudge from the Supreme Court.
The scheme had the aim to provide domicile-free merit-based opportunities to students, allowing them to study in any state.
The AIQ comprises 15% of total available undergraduate seats and 50% of total available postgraduate seats in government medical colleges.
In 2007, the SC directed 15% SC and 7.5% ST reservation.