NEW DELHI: The medical education regulator has asked government medical colleges to offer students belonging to the economically weaker section category 10 per cent reservation as per the Centre’s newly-adopted policy, from the upcoming academic session. This will mean that there will be an increase of about 3,000 seats in medical colleges as there are nearly 30,500 seats in 216 government medical colleges.
To offset the impact of the newly introduced quota in educational institutions, the government had decided that 25 per cent seats would be increased in every institution within two years — with 10 per cent increase this year —wherever the new category is introduced. In a circular issued on Monday, the Medical Council of India-Board of Governors said that the “proposal for seat enhancement for EWS scheme is being extended to the government medical colleges that are likely to be a grated letter of permission and also those medical colleges which are in the stage of renewal of permission.”
The regulator, in letters to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, had earlier said that as the Indian Medical Council rules prescribe strict infrastructure and faculty ratios for medical colleges, the 25 per cent increase in the seats could only be implemented from the 2020 academic session.
In a change of stance, the MCI has now asked medical colleges to submit an undertaking by June 7 saying that they could offer EWS reservation and 10 per cent increase in seats, provided that they fulfil the requirement of additional infrastructure and faculties before the start of the academic session in August. Many people welcomed the move.