SC rejects Tamil Nadu’s plea for 50 per cent OBC quota in medical entry

CHENNAI/NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday rejected Tamil Nadu’s interim prayer seeking implementation of 50 per cent reservation for Other Backward Classes in the State’s medical colleges on seats contributed to the All-India Quota this academic year.

Both the Dravidian parties had approached the apex court after the Centre made it clear that it was not possible to implement the quota for OBCs this year.  A bench comprising Justices L Nageswara Rao, Hemant Gupta and Ajay Rastogi dismissed the pleas. In July, the Madras High Court directed the Centre to constitute a panel – with representatives from State and Central governments apart from the Medical Council of India – to decide on the issue of providing OBC reservations in the AIQ seats.

Regional parties have expressed disappointment over the ruling, and urged the State to take immediate steps to secure reservations. The DMK attacked the ruling governments at State and Centre for “jointly shattering” the dreams of several backward caste candidates.

“The rights of over 10,000 students have been affected,” he said, while calling upon the State government to exert political pressure on the Centre to implement the reservation. This comes at a time when the Tamil Nadu Governor has sought 3-4 weeks time to decide on the 7.5 per cent horizontal reservations Bill of the State government. 

Previously, the OBCs were being provided reservation only in central universities. However, several activists and politicians had argued that since the States were allotting such a large margin of seats to the AIQ, the OBCs were losing out on seats that they could avail in non-central universities. It was estimated that the OBCs had lost out on over 10,000 seats in the last three years because the Centre had failed to implement reservation in the AIQ.

What will be the next move?
DMK president Stalin called upon the State government to exert political pressure on the Centre to implement the reservation. The SC decision comes at a time when TN Governor has sought 3-4 weeks time to decide on the 7.5% horizontal reservations Bill of State govt