Sonia urges PM to expand OBC quota in medical seats

New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to extend the reservation for OBC candidates in the all-India quota of medical and dental seats in colleges run by states and union territories. She said that reservation for OBC candidates under the all-India quota in the medical entrance examination NEET is currently restricted to central institutions.

Supporting her demand, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that "affirmative action is vital for social justice". "I strongly support the Congress president's demand to extend the reservation for OBCs in All India Quota of medical and dental seats, in state/UT govt medical education institutions also," he said in a tweet.

Sonia Gandhi said that under the all-India quota in medical education institutions run by the Centre and states, 15 per cent, 7.5 per cent and 10 per cent of the seats are reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Economically Weaker Section (EWS) candidates respectively.

"However, reservation for OBC candidates under All-India quota is restricted to central institutions. As per the data compiled by the All India Federation of Other Backward Classes, since 2017, OBC candidates lost over 11,000 seats, in All India quota, due to non-implementation of OBC reservations in State/UT Medical education institutions," she wrote to the PM.

"Denial of reservations to OBCs in state medical institutions in All India quota, being administered by the Government of India, violates the very objective of the 93rd Constitutional Amendment and is a barrier to access medical education for deserving OBC candidates," she stated in her letter.

Supporting Congress chief move, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that the Centre should extend reservation for OBC candidates in all-India quota of medical and dental seats.