CHENNAI: The Cabinet chaired by CM Edappadi K Palaniswami on Monday approved 10 per cent horizontal reservation in medical admissions to government school students who clear the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). An Ordinance is likely to be promulgated within a few days to give effect to this from the current academic year. A few days ago, Justice P Kalaiyarasan filed his report in this regard to the government.
The decision comes in the backdrop of the popular sentiment that the national-level entrance exam favours those children who can afford costly private tuitions and puts the government school students, who mostly hail from economically weaker sections, at a disadvantage. On March 21, Palaniswami told the Assembly that the number of government school students joining the medical courses has come down after the introduction of NEET, and the State government was, therefore, considering the enactment of a legislation to provide reservation for students who take the test. Students, who have studied from Standard I to Standard XII in government schools, schools run by municipal corporations and municipalities, schools run by Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department, Kallar Reclamation Schools and Forest Department schools, and pass the NEET examinations will get this reservation.
Even as the intention was to help the disadvantaged students, the decision may not stand legal scrutiny, said Justice K Chandru, a former judge of Madras High Court. For a horizontal reservation to be passed, the government needs strong supporting data.
“On what grounds can the government ask for this reservation? All government schools are allowed to have English medium. So, language cannot be a reason to ask for reservation,” he said pointing that the State government may use the area of residence as a reason.
“Let us assume the government says these schools are in rural areas. There are also small matriculation schools in rural areas,” he said, elaborating that the courts may not accept this reasoning. Chandru also said that then the government will have to reason for an Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quota. “This too does not qualify as a horizontal reservation because the State can, at best, make this appeal for the State government’s 69 per cent reservation which can be contested by anyone in the country,” he said.
Lack of level-playing ground
While welcoming the approval, Prince Gajendrababu, general secretary, State Platform for Common School System, said the only reasonable solution is to seek exemption from NEET.“From past experience, a government school student knows that the only way he or she can get a medical seat is by scoring exceptionally high scores. Because only those with wealth can afford private institutions and government school students can only aspire for a government seat,” said the educationist.As private school students can afford expensive training, government school students already lack a level-playing field. “A government school student may get a very high score only with repeated attempts. And they do not have that luxury to wait a year and re-attempt,” he said.
Welcome move
Welcoming the announcement, Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam (TPDK) general secretary Ku Ramakrishnan said, “Even as we demand the government to scrap NEET, the 10 per cent reservation is a welcome move as it would pave way for many aspirants in government schools pursue medicine. The government must not delay in promulgating ordinance to give effect to this from the current academic year.”General secretary of Doctors’ Association for Social Equality GR Ravindranath said the government must consider increasing reservation rate for government school students from 10 to 15 per cent. Government school students would then find a solid 350 seats exclusively for them in medical admission.
“Before implementation of NEET, government school students had only 30 seats reserved for them. After NEET, only a handful of government school students entered medicine. With this new reservation, admissions at government schools may rise, which otherwise are close to shutting down,” he said.
Meanwhile, teachers have welcomes the announcement made by the government.
“The lack of a level-playing field has now been addressed. We wholeheartedly welcome it,” said S Anbusekaran, Headmaster of Manachanallur Government Model Girls Higher Secondary School.
C Veluswamy, an educationalist and retired government headmaster, said, “This ensures that medical seats aren’t an unattainable dream for government school students. This reservation will ensure that students from humble backgrounds also get a fair shot.”
C Satishkumar, a government school teacher and state coordinator of Kalviyalarkal Sangamam, said, “It is welcome move. But, 10 per cent is a very small number. Considering that many medical seats get filled by students from other States, if the number is higher, more Tamil Nadu students, especially those from rural places, will benefit.”
A welcome move
Even as teachers of government school have welcomed the move, legal experts have said that the decision may not stand legal scrutiny
(With inputs from Coimbatore, Tiruchy)