The Puducherry Cabinet has recommended implementation of 10% reservation for government school students in medical admissions. Addressing a press conference here, Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy said the Cabinet met on Monday night and decided to provide quota to government school students as their representation in medical colleges was very less.
As many as 48,269 students are pursuing Class 6-12 at government schools. While the number of students in the same classes at private schools is 88,000. During the 2018-19 academic year, 94 students who passed out of government schools cleared NEET. The number of private school students who cleared the test was 1,346. But only 16 government school students could get admission in medical colleges as against 243 private school students, the Chief Minister said.
Of the 16 students, 11 were from Mahe, 3 from Karaikal and 2 from Puducherry, he said.
The number revealed that only very few government school students got admission to medical colleges. Hence the Cabinet decided to set aside 10% of the seats that medical colleges surrendered under the government quota for government school students. A detailed guideline would be issued shortly, he said.
When it was pointed out that a similar decision by the Tamil Nadu government was awaiting assent from the Governor, Mr. Narayanasamy said he was hopeful of getting the sanction of Lt. Governor Kiran Bedi. “If not, we will launch an agitation,” he said.
He said the Supreme Court’s stand on implementation of 50% reservation this year itself for NEET-UG students belonging to Other Backward Classes in medical and dental seats in seats provided to all India quota by State government run colleges in Tamil Nadu would deprive hundreds of students from socially marginalised sections admission in medical seats. The decision would go against ensuring social justice, the Chief Minister said.
