The PMK on Saturday charged that the Centre has taken a position against implementing reservation for OBCs in medical admissions under the All India Quota (AIQ).
In a statement, party youth wing leader Anbumani Ramadoss pointed out the Centre had filed an affidavit in the Madras High Court stating that implementing OBC reservation was not possible in the AIQ seats, which was created based on the Supreme Court’s direction.
“This shows that the Centre is unwilling to provide reservation for OBCs in AIQ seats. The Centre has also said that since the counselling for seats is under way and that it has to be completed within a specific time, there is no question of implementing reservation in the current academic year,” he said.
The Centre was ready to implement State-specific reservation with some conditions, which he said, were “unjust and rigorous”.
The Centre has argued that in such cases, the reservation should not exceed 50% and the current reservation must be implemented without disturbing the seat matrix. These conditions were “dangerous”, he said.
‘Pressure tactic’
Mr. Anbumani said that this was just a pressure tactic to make the States confine OBC reservation to 27%. “It is well known that States which provide reservation above 50% for OBCs will not accept this condition. This is a ploy to wriggle out of this case. It doesn’t show [the Centre’s] intent to provide reservations for OBCs,” he said.
He said that Tamil Nadu would have to at least double its medical seats and it was not clear if the Medical Council of India would agree to it.
