Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 17 said the constitutional amendment to provide 10% reservation to the poor in the general category was achieved due to the political will of his government and it would be implemented from this academic year. “The new reservation will be implemented in 40,000 colleges across 900 universities in the country from this academic year. The number of seats will be increased by 10%,” he said.
Addressing a gathering after inaugurating the 1,500-bed Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Institute of Medical Science and Research in Ahmedabad, Mr. Modi said the economic reservation had been given without impacting the existing social reservation.
Mr. Modi said his government was committed to providing equal opportunities to all sections of society. The institute will be linked to the Ayushman Bharat scheme so that poor people could avail medical facilities free of cost.
In 100 days, 7 lakh poor people had received treatment under the Pradhan Mantri Ayushmaan Bharat scheme. This would be the first government hospital to have a helipad, he said, adding that the new medical facility would help boost the health sector in the State.
“Cleanliness and healthcare has always been the prime agenda of the Ahmedabad municipal corporation since the time Sardar Patel was the mayor. The hospital project started in 2012 and I am mesmerised by the way it has turned out to be,” he said.
