New medical reservation plan draws flak again

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Medical education in the state has been mired in controversy for the longest time with new regulations coming in almost every year. Even as Maharashtra is facing protests by candidates and their parents as part of the Save Merit Save Nation movement against the government's reservation policies, the authorities have a new plan of quota for those willing to serve in interior regions of the state. Parents now are up in arms against the new plan and are expressing their disappointment against the huge percentage of reservation (72 per cent) in government medical colleges.

Parents started voicing their dissent after the government introduced 16 per cent and 10 per cent reservation respectively for Maratha candidates and those coming from the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) of society. Now the government plans to introduce quota (MBBS and post-graduation courses) for those willing to work in interior regions through five and seven-year-old bonds respectively.

Vishwas Phadke, one of the parents, said, "This is really disturbing. There are very few seats in government medical colleges, which are already divided into many quotas. Adding more reservation is leaving no room for meritorious students to study medicine."

Vishwajeet Deshpande, an active member of Save Merit Save Nation, said, "Already there are nine ongoing cases against the recently added reservation. Yet if the state government plans to take such a decision without a fair discussion then it is completely wrong. We are waiting for the Government Resolution to understand the details before we can take action against it."

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