Open category students oppose quota in PG courses
Governor of Maharashtra Ch Vidyasagar Rao yesterday signed on the Ordinance paving the way for 16 percent reservation quota for Maratha youths in Post Graduate medical and dental courses. The Governor signed the Maharashtra State Reservation (of seats for admission in educational institutions in the State and for appointments in the public services and posts under the State) for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) (Amendment and Validation) Ordinance, 2019. Even as he done so on the advice of the state government, the move has already sparked off protest from the open category students who have opposed the move.
In a statement issued here yesterday from Raj Bhavan, the Ordinannce was issued by the Governor on the basis of the advice given by the State Government to provide the benefit of reservations in admissions to SEBC classes in Medical and Dental under-graduate and post graduate courses. It adds that there shall now be reservations in favor of the candidates belonging to SEBC classes from the educational year 2019-20 and also for admissions to other educational courses including under-graduate courses requiring the passing of the NEET or any other National Entrance Test. Last week on Friday the state cabinet gave its nod to promulgate an ordinance to uphold admissions of 253 post graduate medical and dental courses.
On the other hand, the open category students who are protesting against the issuing of ordinance have also refused to withdraw their protest arguing that they will wait till the ordinance is issued. The open category students want the government to restore their admissions to be restored. The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court had struck down the governments move to give reservation quota to Maratha youths in post graduate medical and dental courses. The decision was also upheld by the Supreme Court of India and the move of the courts had put admissions of more than 2,000 post graduate medical students. Through the ordinance, the government seeks to amend section 16(2) of the SEBC Act paving the way for reservation quota for the Maratha youth in post graduate medical and dental courses for the academic year 2019-20.