Centre approves 27% reservation for OBCs & 10% for EWS in All-India Quota of medical seats

In a landmark decision, the Union Health Ministry on Thursday approved 27% reservation for Other Backward Class (OBCs) and 10% reservation for Economically Weaker Section (EWS) in the All India Quota (AIQ) Scheme for undergraduate and postgraduate medical courses from the current academic year. 

The All India Quota (AIQ) Scheme was introduced in 1986 under the directions of the Supreme Court to provide for domicile-free merit-based opportunities to students from any State to aspire to study in a good medical college located in another State. All India Quota consists of 15% of total available UG seats and 50% of total available PG seats in government medical colleges. 

OBC reservation in medical education

The OBC students from across the country shall now be able to take benefit of this reservation in AIQ Scheme to compete for seats in any State. This decision would benefit every year nearly 1,500 OBC students in MBBS and 2,500 OBC students in postgraduation and also around 550 EWS students in MBBS and around 1,000 EWS students in postgraduation, the Ministry said in a release. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a meeting held on Monday, July 26 had directed the concerned Union Ministries to facilitate an effective solution to this long pending issue. The meeting was attended by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, and relevant secretaries. 

PM Modi hails landmark decision

Hailing the decision of providing reservations for OBCs and EWS in medical and dental courses, PM Modi said the move will immensely help thousands of youth every year in getting better opportunities and creating a new paradigm of social justice in the country.

"Nearly 5,550 students will be benefitted. The government is committed to providing due reservation both to Backward Category and EWS Category," the Minister of Health & Family Welfare Mandaviya tweeted. 

This decision is also in sync with the significant reforms carried out in the field of medical education since 2014, the Ministry said. During the last six years, MBBS Seats in India have increased by 56% from 54,348 seats in 2014 to 84,649 seats in 2020 and the number of PG seats has increased by 80% from 30,191 seats in 2014 to 54,275 seats in 2020. During the same period, 179 new medical colleges have been established and now the country has 558 (Govt: 289, Pvt: 269) medical colleges, it noted.