Andhra Pradesh: No clarity to implement EWS quota for MBBS at state medical colleges

Hyderabad: State medical colleges are in a phase of confusion as these institutions have not yet received the government's order to implement Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) quota in MBBS course for the academic year 2019-20.

On January 9, the Parliament had passed the Constitution (124th Amendment) Bill 2019 to help the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) of Indian society. The bill focused on providing 10 percent reservation in jobs and higher

education to the general category poor.

Considering the bill, it was decided that all educational institutions including ones in the medical field, will offer the EWS quota in the General Category.

Read Also: MCI moves to implement 10 percent EWS quota in medical colleges, Asks States to submit Seat Matrix

According to a recent report in the New Indian Express, Dr NTR University of Health Sciences (NTRUHS) recently had a meeting with the officials of the state government to find a way to introduce the 10 percent EWS quota but could not find a way.

Following the NEET examination result for the upcoming academic year, the NTRUHS had recently issued a notification regarding MBBS admissions counselling but no notification regarding the EWS quota was issued.

In All India Quota, the government had already implemented the EWS quota while the state government has not released any notification in this regard.

The counseling under the national arena has started while the counseling under the state pool will begin soon. This has brought confusion in front of the NTRUHS to take a decision regarding the EWS quota.

S Appala Naidu, Registrar of NTRUHS told the New Indian Express, "We have no clarity on the implementation of 10 per cent reservation and we need to get orders from the State government. The counselling for UG medical admission is likely to be started from the first week of July. If we don't get order from State government regarding 10 per cent reservation for EWS and Kapus, then we will not implement it this year."

If the state does not issue the order to implement the EWS quota, the students may face hardship. The medical colleges which had gained nod from the Medical Council of India (MCI) to enhance medical seats may lose the seats. The MCI may withdraw its decision for the additional seats if the state government do not issue any order for implementing EWS quota in the state for the upcoming academic year.