One-Third Seats to be Reserved for Girls in Bihar Medical Colleges, Announces CM Nitish Kumar

The Chief Minister made the suggestion to the effect upon perusal of presentations by the departments of health and science and technology about setting up of medical and engineering universities in the state, reports PTI.

In this regard, he ordered the concerned officials to take necessary measures to reserve a minimum of one-third of seats for women at the time of admission in medical courses.

"This would be a unique endeavor and go a long way in ensuring a higher enrolment of girls in these technical institutes of higher learning. Girls will, thus, also feel encouraged to take more interest in pursuing such courses", Kumar said.

Kumar also reiterated that his government was committed to ensuring that there was a sufficient number of medical colleges so that boys and girls interested in these disciplines did not feel compelled to migrate to other states for their studies.

"To this end, we have set up many medical colleges and all districts have at least one engineering college", he pointed out.

The chief minister's averments were in line with his sustained emphasis on the empowerment of women which has been manifest in much-praised schemes like free bicycles and uniforms to girls going to school and quotas for women in Panchayats.

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Speaking to the Times of India regarding the issue, a secretary-rank IAS officer, unwilling to be identified, said, "The proposed 33.3% quota for girls would be implemented in all engineering and medical colleges across the state from the coming academic session (2021-22). With this, Bihar would become the first state (in the country) to provide a 33.3% horizontal quota for girls in the technical college."

Currently, the State has nine government and six private medical colleges. However, the process is on for setting up 11 more medical colleges across the State.

The daily adds that during the meeting, the CM also reviewed a proposal related to "Bihar University of Medical Sciences". The proposal for setting up the university would be laid in the next session of the assembly. After the realization of this proposal, all the medical colleges in the State would be governed by this university.

Kumar observed that the establishment of the varsities would facilitate better management of medical colleges and added "33 percent of seats in these colleges should be reserved for girls".