Centre approves 27% OBC, 10% EWS quota in medical courses

NEW DELHI: The Union government on Thursday announced 27% reservation for other backward class (OBC) students and 10% for economically weaker sections (EWS) in the all India quota of seats for undergraduate and postgraduate medical and dental courses, accepting a longstanding demand months before crucial elections in five states.

The decision is seen as an effort by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to consolidate its support among the OBCs and the poor ahead of upcoming state elections early next year, including in Uttar Pradesh, where OBC communities have significant electoral heft.

The reservation will be implemented from this academic session and benefit 5,500 students, said the Union health ministry. This includes 1,500 undergraduate OBC students and 550 EWS students, and 2,500 postgraduate OBC and 1,000 EWS candidates.

“Our government has taken a landmark decision for providing 27% reservation for OBCs and 10% reservation for Economically Weaker Section in the All India Quota Scheme for undergraduate and postgraduate medical/dental

Acourses from the current academic year,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “This will immensely help thousands of our youth every year get better opportunities and create a new paradigm of social justice,” he added.

Government medical seats are assigned under two streams: allIndia quota (15% of undergraduate seats and 50% of postgraduate seats) and state quota. The government implemented 27% OBC reservation in higher-educational institutions in 2006-07 but didn’t include medical and dental course seats under the all-India quota.

In recent years, OBC groups have claimed that the communities lost around 11,000 seats due to lack of quota and their protests have pushed states such as Tamil Nadu to approach the courts. Last year, the Madras high court ruled that there was no legal or constitutional impediment in extending OBC quota to all-India quota seats in state-run institutions.

On Monday, the PM held a review meeting where he instructed the health ministry to expedite the process of clearing the decks for the decision. On Wednesday, a group of OBC leaders representing the National Democratic Alliance met PM

Modi to push for allowing admissions from the all-India quota.

In recent months, the BJP renewed its outreach to make up for the alienation within the communities over lack of employment and economic development avenues. The most recent example is the Union cabinet expansion, where three senior OBC leaders were included in the council of ministers.

Thursday’s decision can significantly influence the electoral prospects of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat next year. In Gujarat and UP, OBCs make up around 40% of the population. It is also expected to placate dominant castes who are concerned by the possible impact of sub-categorisation of OBC reservation on quotas for them in government jobs and educational institutions.

Some Opposition leaders called the decision a token effort. “Mere tokenism in the name of social justice can’t dupe aware OBCs! How the anti-OBC NDA govt is going to compensate the OBC students for the loss of seats they have suffered for all these years due to denial of their rightful reservation in the NEET exams?” asked RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, whose party counts the dominant OBC group of Yadavs as a key support base.