The Bharatiya Janata Party-led alliance government in poll-bound Assam has announced reservation in medical seats for students belonging to three communities that have been demanding the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
The reservation of 17 medical seats for students from the Koch-Rajbongshi, Ahom and Chutia communities will be from the State’s quota for the Other Backward Class (OBC) that had been raised from 15 to 27% some time ago.
These three communities comprise more than 25% of Assam’s electorate with the Morans, Mataks and “Tea Tribes” — the other three communities demanding the status.
“The State government had promised reservation in educational institutions to the six ethnic communities pending their declaration of tribal status. Accordingly, we have reserved eight seats for Koch-Rajbongshis, five for Ahoms and four for the Chutia community in the medical colleges,” Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
The Morans, the Mataks and the “Tea Tribes” already have reservations in the State’s medical colleges.
Dr. Sarma said the reservation was possible after the Medical Council of India approved 100 seats at the newly established Diphu Medical College where the first session will begin from 2021.
“The other reserved categories will not be affected as the 17 seats for the three communities will be out of the OBC quota.”
The reserved seats, officials said, will be spread across seven medical colleges. These colleges together have 1,000 seats.
Another 100 seats are expected to be added when the Lakhimpur Medical College begins its first session next year.
