Govt Students get 7.5 Percent Quota In MBBS, BDS, AYUSH Courses: Tamil Nadu issues GO

With this, the MBBS admissions which had been put on hold by the state will be conducted soon.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the Tamil Nadu Assembly had unanimously passed the bill providing 7.5 per cent quota within the existing reservation in MBBS, BDS, AYUSH courses for government school students. It will be applicable for students clearing the NEET exam.

The Bill, moved by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, was passed unanimously by vote. The reservation would be available for undergraduate programmes in medicine, dentistry, Indian medicine and homeopathy but it would not apply to seats reserved for all India quota. The move will benefit over 300 poor students annually and will be implemented from this year onwards. The "quota within quota" covers government seats in private colleges also.

The Bill seeks to replace the Ordinance promulgated by the government. It may be recalled that the State Cabinet had on June 15 approved an ordinance, envisaging 7.5 per cent horizontal reservation in the State government's quota of MBBS/BDS seats, for students of government schools

Read Also: Govt Students To Have 7.5 Percent Quota In MBBS, BDS, AYUSH Courses: TN Clears Bill

However, with no implementation of the bill, the petitioners had moved the court before the announcement of NEET 2020 results and the bench took the matter in urgency asking the state's response on the matter as the Governor was yet to make a decision.

Read Also: NEET Results Out But MBBS Admissions In Tamil Nadu Still On Hold

Now, ultimately the quota is in effect.

Since the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) results have now been declared and the admission process has started, there is an 'urgency' to decide on this issue, the Government Order (G.O) said.

As per the GO, 7.5 per cent of seats shall be set apart on a preferential basis to government school students qualifying in NEET, in admissions to MBBS, BDS, BSMS, BAMS, BUMS, and BHMS from the academic year 2020-21.

The G.O. issued by the Health and Family Welfare department said since the power to issue executive directions under Article 162 of the Constitution is co-extensive with the legislative powers, pending the decision of the Governor, the government has taken a policy decision to provide reservation. The 7.5 per cent quota shall be provided in each category of vertical reservation followed in Tamil Nadu within the 69 per cent reservation, reports PTI.

The setting apart of seats on a preferential basis is applicable to state quota seats in all government medical and dental colleges and all courses for which NEET has been prescribed as an eligibility criteria. It would be applicable also to seats allotted by the state government in self-financing medical and dental colleges, minority and non-minority (institutions) and under all disciplines, the G.O said.

The state-run school students are also entitled to compete for government seats, other than the 7.5 per cent, along with students who studied in private schools. The students from government schools, including schools run by panchayats, municipalities and corporations, welfare schools for adi dravidar, tribals, kallar reclamation, BC/MBC/differently abled welfare, forest, social defence (borstal) and residential, will be eligible for the quota.

According to the government, more than 300 MBBS seats in government medical colleges and self-financing colleges will now be available for students from government schools.