Bhubaneswar, May 7: Students of the three government medical colleges today took to roads, demanding withdrawal of the order to increase the reservation quota for scheduled categories' students in higher education from 20 per cent to 38.75 per cent.
Earlier this week, the state government made this announcement.
This academic year, the new quota will be applicable from Plus Two to postgraduation admissions, while authorities of the technical education department and the department of medical education and training (DMET) said they were yet to receive any communication from the state government.
The reservation of seats in the government educational institutions for the Scheduled Tribe (ST) students was increased from 12 per cent to 22.5 per cent, while that for the Scheduled Caste (SC) ones was raised to 16.25 per cent from 8 per cent.
The decision has been taken as though there is provision of 38.75 per cent reservation for the ST and SC candidates in government jobs, the same ratio of reservation is not maintained in the education sector, said a release from the Chief Minister's Office.
"We have not received any official communication from the higher education department or the state government. However, the state medical rule follows the higher education reservation guidelines. So, it is likely that the decision will be implemented in medical colleges as well," said DMET joint director Umakanta Sathpathy.
The decision to implement the new reservation percentage will have to be taken only after the DMET board decides on the matter and receives the chief minister's nod. It will be a time-consuming process. Since the Supreme Court has made it clear to complete all admissions by September, it is unlikely that the new reservations will be included this year," the official said.
OJEE authorities, too, said they were yet to receive the official circular.
"As soon as we get it, we can decide on the matter. If the government will ask us to implement the reservations, we will have to," said OJEE chairman Tushar Nath.
In another development, students of various medical colleges today took out rallies and demonstrated peacefully, criticising the decision and demanding its withdrawal. They feared that it would affect their admissions in the postgraduate courses.
"Medical students should be allotted only on merit basis or it will affect the quality of doctors coming out from the colleges," rued Bijay Mishra, an MBBS student.
The development has also confused over 35,000 students, who took the All-India Pre Medical Test (AIPMT) this year. In Odisha, 85 per cent seats are available under the state quota (admissions would be through state merit list of the AIPMT), while admissions for the rest 15 per cent seats would be from the AIPMT national merit list.
Around 300 medics - house surgeons, ex-house surgeons, postgraduate and undergraduate students - of MKCG Medical College and Hospital today took out a rally in protest against the reservation policy.
"Increase in reservation will lower the quality of education. The government should work for the socio-economic upliftment of people," said a protester Abinash Das.
