CHENNAI: Eighty-two SC candidates and only 11 ST candidates of the 6,027 MBBS seats in deemed universities across the country for which first round admission counselling was held recently; that is all that the candidates from SC and ST communities managed to obtain. The numbers are marginally higher in the case of BDS: 88 SC candidates and seven ST candidates among the 2,774 seats in deemed institutions.

These are revealing statistics on the state of affairs of these communities, say activists, seeking reservation in private institutions as well. As directed by the Supreme Court, counselling for admission to MBBS and BDS courses in deemed universities this year is being conducted by the Directorate-General of Health Services based on All India rank as per NEET marks.

“SC communities form about 20 per cent while Scheduled Tribes form 7.5 per cent of Indian population. But these numbers from MBBS/BDS admission show unequal participation. Since this is the first time the government itself conducted counselling for seats in deemed universities, reservation should be considered for a level playing field,” said Satva, a non- service doctor.

He argued that the abysmal number of SC/ST candidates showed that the rationale behind introducing NEET has not worked. Backing the demand, GR Ravindranath, general secretary, Doctors’ Association for Social Justice (DASE) said communal reservation should be followed in private institutions, too. “Only then will social justice be achieved,” he said.

MBBS (deemed univs)
Total Number of seats: 6,027
Seats obtained by SC candidates: 82 (1.36 per cent)
Seats obtained by ST candidates: 11 (0.18 per cent)
BDS (deemed universities)
Total Number of seats: 2,774
Seats obtained by SC candidates: 88 (3.17 per cent)
Seats obtained by ST candidates: 7 (0.25 per cent)

Even those got ranks did not opt for MBBS seat in deemed universities because of high fee.

So our demands are –

1. To implement reservation for SC/STs in deemed universities.

2. To sanction post metric scholarship to students got seats in deemed universities.

Source – New Indian Express