Government Allows 27% Reservation For OBC, 10% For EWS In AIQ For Medical College Admissions

In the All India Quota (AIQ) for medical admissions, the Narendra Modi-led government has allowed reservations for OBC and EWS students. Students from Other Backward Class (OBC) categories will now receive a 27 percent reservation for graduate (MBBS, BDS), postgraduate, and diploma level medical courses, while those from the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) would receive a 10 percent reservation.

This move is likely to assist about 1500 OBC students in MBBS and 2500 OBC students in postgraduate programmes each year, as well as 550 EWS students in MBBS and 1000 EWS students in postgraduate programmes.

OBC reservation in the all-India quota of medical education has been a long-standing demand from medical students. Several lawsuits have been filed in various courts across the country, but the matter has remained unresolved for a long period.

The issue of the two quotas was discussed in a meeting on Monday attended by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan; Education, health and family welfare, law and justice, and social welfare secretaries; Health and Family Welfare Minister Mansukh Mandaviya; as well as other senior officials.

According to reports, during the review meeting, PM Modi requested that the problem of OBC reservation in the All-India Quota (AIQ) of medical education may be resolved by the ministries concerned on a priority basis.

All India quotas are applied to 15% of undergraduate seats and 50% of postgraduate seats in state government medical institutes. SC and ST applicants are given preference in this quota for admission; however, there is no preference for OBCs.

According to reports, the PM has also requested that the Health Ministry assess the position of individual states' implementation of EWS reservations for medical education.

The central government, in 2019, announced a 10% reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in government jobs and higher education in the general category. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare enhanced the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) reservation quota in medical colleges to 5,200 MBBS seats.

"These seats have been expanded in State Government's Colleges, State Government supported Society run Colleges, Municipal Corporation's Colleges, and Colleges set up on Private Public Mode (PPP mode) for the academic session 2019-20," stated Ashwini Kumar Choubey, former Minister of State for Health.