Sonia Gandhi writes to PM Modi over denial of OBC reservation in all India quota filled through NEET
Jul 03, 2020
New Delhi [India], July 3 : Congress President Sonia Gandhi has written a letter to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding "denial of reservation" to OBC candidates under all-India quota being filled through National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) in the state and union territory medical education institutions.
Urging the Central government to extend the reservation for OBC candidates in the interest of equity and social justice, Gandhi said that denial of reservations to OBCs in state medical institutions in All India Quota, being administered by GOI, "violates the very objective of the 93rd constitutional amendment" and is a barrier to access medical education for deserving OBC candidates.
Under the All India quota, 15 per cent, 7.5 per cent and 10 per cent seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) or the Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Economically Weaker Section (EWS) candidates respectively, in both the central and state/UT medical education institutions. However, reservation for OBC candidates under all India quota is restricted to central institutions, the Congress chief said in the letter.
She said according to data compiled by All India Federation of Other Backward Classes since 2017, OBC candidates lost over 11,000 seats in all India quota due to non-implementation of OBC reservations in the state/UT medical education institutions.
Gandhi also said that the 93rd constitutional amendment envisages special provisions for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes of citizens or for the SCs or the STs in admission to educational institutions including private educational institutions whether aided or unaided by the state other than the minority educational institutions.
