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Anti-quota stir: Medicos threaten suicide

       New Delhi: A 22-member delegation of striking medicos met President APJ Abdul Kalam on Wednesday and appealed to him to not sign the Bill proposing to bring 27 percent reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBC) in elite educational institutions. In a move aimed at intensifying their stir, the striking medicos also called for 'civil disobedience' in Delhi on Thursday, asking various professional groups like traders, resident welfare associations, bank personnel, members of bar associations not to work from 9 am to 12 noon. In addition they have also threatened to commit suicide, if their demands are not met. The Delhi Medical Association (DMA) and the Indian Medical Association is supporting the move. The DMA has also planned to organise a 'dharna' at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) between 11 am and 5 pm to support the anti-quota agitation. Students have also called for an agitation march named 'Dilli Chalo' on May 28. The procession is likely to be taken out from Ramlila Maidan and culminate at Jantar Mantar.

    The Centre's move to implement 27 per cent reservation for the OBC students from June next year, have further outraged the students. At present, government-funded colleges have to allocate 22.5 percent of their seats to students belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes category. The proposed 27 percent reservation for the OBC students in premier education institutes across the country along with the existing 22.5 percent reservation would take the total seats under the quota category to nearly 50 percent, leaving only half of the total seats for the General category students. Yesterday, the UPA co-ordination committee and the Left parties decided to implement the proposal to introduce the 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in higher educational institutions from June 2007, while increasing seats for the general category students. But protests have only intensified over the last few days and many doctors have gone on strike in support of the demonstrators, crippling healthcare facilities in many cities.

Kalam asks medicos to resume duty (Go To Top)

      New Delhi: President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam on Wednesday urged the agitating medical students to stop their fast in protest against the reservation issue, and resume their normal student life. He said that keeping in view the interest of all sections of the student community and to meet their aspirations for opportunities for higher education, the Centre would simultaneously increase the number of seats in educational institutes under the Central category. He said an Oversight Committee would be constituted to draw up a time bound road map for implementing this decision, adding that the Committee would submit a comprehensive report in this regard by August 31, 2006. Kalam further assured the students who met him today, that the increase in the number of seats and the action report of the Oversight Committee would be undertaken within the stipulated time set up by the Centre. Earlier in the day, a 22-member delegation of striking medicos met Kalam and appealed to him to not sign the Bill proposing to bring 27 percent reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBC) in elite educational institutions.

OBC quota announced (Go To Top)

       New Delhi/Surat: Medical students across the country stepped up their agitation against the quota in higher educational as the Centre finally decided to implement twenty- seven per cent reservation for the Other Backward Classes students from June next year. The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government yesterday decided to set aside half the seats in Centrally funded colleges for OBC candidates from next year, despite widespread protests by students and doctors against it. The plan, to raise the proportion of reserved seats from 22.5 percent to 49.5 percent, has run into widespread opposition since it was proposed last month. Protests have intensified in the past 10 days and many doctors have gone on strike in support of the demonstrators, crippling healthcare in many cities. Outraged students have called for a shutdown in the national capital, New Delhi on May 25 while an agitation march called 'Dilli Chalo' would follow on May 28. Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters late on Tuesday that the law would come into force from the academic year starting in June, 2007. Terming the decision as unfortunate, the students said they would intensify the agitation. "Government had already planned to implement reservation from July. They are making a fool out of people. We will continue to protest. And if our demands are not met with, then we will involve students from other institutes and will stop the emergency services also," Rahul Bansal, an agitating Delhi medico said. Meanwhile, in Surat, a medico on hunger strike was reported to be in critical condition and was hospitalised.

More seats not enough, say students  (Go To Top)

       Bhopal: Anti reservation activists in Bhopal are continuing with their strike against the decision to implement the reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) from June 2007. Despite the government's declaration of increasing the number of seats with 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in educational institutions across the country, medical students in Bhopal are continuing with their protest against the reservation. Students claimed they never said that they would settle for more seats in educational institutions in lieu of reservation. They said their demand was the formation of a review committee to look into the pros and cons of reservation over the years. "They have taken a decision on reservation without giving any thought to our demands. Our demand was the formation of a judicial committee to review reservation in our country over the years. They said they will increase the seats but there is no infrastructure available for that. There is no point in increasing the number of seats when there are no teachers available to teach in the institutions," said Manish Rawat, junior doctor. Students from private medical colleges have also joined the protest against reservation in Bhopal, which has badly effected the medical services in the city. Patients have said they were suffering in the fight between doctors and the government, with most of them going back without receiving any treatment. "Patients are suffering in the war between the students and the government. Both parties should think about the patients as well," said Ramprakash Dhakad, a relative of a patient. A minor tussle also broke out between the students and the police when the latter tried to stop the students from halting traffic during the protest. Yesterday, the UPA co-ordination committee and the Left parties decided to implement the proposal to introduce 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in higher educational institutions from June 2007 while increasing seats for the general category students.