Don’t sign quota ordinance, PG medical students urge guv

Mumbai: Over 100 postgraduate medical students from open category, their parents and other supporters assembled near Carter Road in Bandra on Saturday to support the cause of merit and protest against the

state government

’s ordinance to include Maratha quota in admissions this year. Aspirants are worried about a delayed start to the academic session, even as admissions across the country are almost concluding. Students have now written to the

governor

requesting him to not give his consent for the ordinance.

The academic session for all-India quota has already begun. According to the students, their academic sessions usually begin from May 18, but due to the quota row, the deadline for admissions has been extended till May 31. As a result, the session is likely to commence in June. Students are worried because this delay could affect their career. “If admissions are delayed further, it will be difficult to complete the course in 36 months,” said Chaitanya, an aspirant.

Krutika Ramden, another aspirant, said, “We cannot appear for our final exam unless we finish the course. And even if they delay the final university exam to accommodate us, we may not be able to attempt the national entrance for super speciality programmes. This delay might even cost our batch a year. Our banks are waiting for allotment letter to give us education loan. We are educated unemployed people.”

“In spite of us winning in the Supreme Court, the government is tweaking its own laws and bringing back reservation,” said another aspirant Gayatri Godse. The government has offered

scholarships

for open category students in private and deemed colleges, but most of them are not keen on accepting it. They want the SC decision—of not implementing the Socially and Economically Backward Class Act this year—to be respected as the government has not increased adequate number of seats keeping in mind the reservation.

After the high court verdict on May 2 to disallow 16% reservation to

Maratha community

, other students were happy that the admission process would begin again. Then the state filed a special leave petition in SC, the verdict of which was also in favour of open-category PG medical students. The government then stalled the admission process and passed an ordinance, which is now awaiting the governor’s signature. It is likely to be signed on Monday, said a state government official.