Telangana MDS Aspirants With AP Degrees Seek State Govt’s Intervention
AIDSA urges the government to recognise Telangana caste and residence certificates
Hyderabad: Telangana students who completed their Class 10 and Intermediate education in the state but pursued BDS in Andhra Pradesh are facing difficulties in claiming reservation benefits in MDS counselling, the All India Dental Students and Surgeons Association (AIDSA) stated.
The association has urged the state health minister to intervene in the ongoing MDS counselling and ensure that eligible Telangana students are allowed to claim reservation based on their valid Telangana caste and residence certificates.
According to AIDSA, students who completed their schooling in Telangana but studied BDS in Andhra Pradesh are being treated as AP local candidates during MDS counselling. They are reportedly being asked to produce caste certificates issued by Andhra Pradesh to claim reservation.
The association said Telangana residents cannot obtain AP-issued caste certificates and are consequently being forced to compete under the General/Unreserved category, despite possessing valid Telangana residence and caste certificates.
AIDSA national president Dr Md Manzur said the issue had also occurred during the previous counselling process and remained unresolved.
With the current MDS counselling process underway, the association has sought immediate directions from the state government to address the issue and ensure that eligible Telangana students are not denied reservation benefits.
The association has requested the government to either recognise the students’ valid Telangana certificates for reservation purposes or introduce a suitable alternative mechanism to protect their eligibility.
AIDSA said students who completed their 10th and Intermediate education in Telangana should not be disadvantaged merely because they pursued their BDS course in Andhra Pradesh, and sought urgent action in the interest of fairness and equal opportunity.