Despite matter subjudiced, Govt scraps regional quota in MBBS
09 Sep 2020 10:18:49
■ By Vikas Vaidya :
■ Vidarbha students may get deprived of MBBS admissions
DESPITE the pending matter before High Court, on Tuesday, Medical Education Minister Amit Deshmukh announced the decision of scrapping regional quota of MBBS seats in Maharashtra. The decision would reduce the chances of students in Vidarbha and Marathwada of getting admission to MBBS colleges in their region.
Though it was being demanded that regional quota in medical admissions should be scrapped to benefit students of Vidarbha and Marathwada, the students of both the regions bank on this 70% seats. At least the people of these regions have 70% intake fully assured for them. Scrapping of regional quota may pave the way for the meritorious students from rest of Maharashtra to occupy more number of seats inVidarbha and Marathwada. A petition was filed in Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court in the year 2016 claiming that injustice was being done through regional quota. Adv Shrihari Aney too had alleged that discrimination caused due to 70 per cent regional quota in medical admissions so scrapping of regional quota was the only answer. Firmly refusing to scrap 70% regional quota in medical admissions, Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court had allowed the State Government to carry on the medical admission process as scheduled and as per 70-30 formula.
The then Devendra Fadnavis Government also strongly defended the regional quota and stated that it was in the interest of backward regions like Vidarbha and Marathwada where a substantial 70 per cent seats are exclusively kept for the students belonging to same region. A division bench consisting of Justice Vasanti Naik and Justice Swapna Joshi after hearing the matter at length made it clear that there was no need to disrupt the admission process and criterion.The High Court had admitted the petition for final hearing which has not held till date. In 2015 there were 750 seats in Government Medical Colleges (GMCs) in Vidarbha including the addition of 100 seats of new college in Chandrapur.The 100 seats were further added to it after the opening of GMC at Gondia.
The total seats in Vidarbha stand at 850. It means that the share of Vidarbha students is 595 seats. In any case the students from Vidarbha will have these many seats for them. If, the decision of Government is implemented then these 595 seats will not exist for Vidarbha students. In that case if students of rest of Maharashtra get more marks to students of that area than their counterparts inVidarbha, then students from rest of Maharashtra would occupy most of the seats out of 595.
This will deprive students of Vidarbha from getting more seats in medical. Presently, medical admissions in state are done as per region-wise quota and 70 per cent seats are reserved for students from particular regions likeVidarbha, Marathwada and Rest of Maharashtra for colleges situated within the same region. There are 850 seats of MBBS in Vidarbha, 500 seats in Marathwada and 1610 in Rest of Maharashtra in medical colleges run by Government. To end reginal quota the best solution is to increase seats in MBBS. This can be done either increasing colleges or adding intake to the exist. This will help in rising regional quota with ultimate beneficiary would be the students of this region.
Seats statistics of Vidarbha THE bifurcation of 850 seats this year is: GMCH
Nagpur - 200, IGGMCH Nagpur - 150, Yavatmal - 150, Akola - 150, Chandrapur and Gondia - 100 each. Total is 850. Since NEET score is applicable now, 550 seats will be added of private medical colleges too. JNMC, Sawangi, Wardha - 200, MGIMS, Sewagram - 100; NKPSIMS - 150 and PDMC, Amravati - 100 and Datta Meghe Medical College - 100. Total seats will be 1,500.