Odisha OBCs Threaten Stir Over Abolished Quota In Medical Colleges

Bhawanipatna: Aspiring doctors from the Other Backward Class (OBC) are a disappointed lot these days. The reason: The Central government has abolished reservation for OBC students in state medical colleges who appear through National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).

The OBC cell of Kalahandi district has threatened to launch an agitation if the government doesn’t restore the reservation for community students.

Kalahandi OBC Cell Convenor Suresh Rao claimed that the Central government has buried the dreams of thousands of students by abolishing the quota.

“The denial of reservation to OBC students in state medical institutions through the All-India quota administered by the Central government violates the very objective of the Constitution’s 93rd Amendment. The government decision is a barrier for access to medical education for deserving OBC candidates,” Rao said at a meeting at Kesinga on Sunday.

He added that the OBC cell in Kalahandi will hit the streets if the quota decision is not reversed.

Another OBC leader Nilamani Sahu said there was 52% OBC community in the country, but it had got reservation for 27%. “Now the complete abolition of reservation will paralyse the education of students from the community,” he said.