Purohit nod to 7.5pc quota for govt school students in medical admission
Chennai, Oct 30: Governor Banwarilal Purohit gave his accent to the Bill providing 7.5 per cent reservation for students from government schools in all medical and dental college admissions on Friday, a day after the State government went ahead and issued a government order, thus putting at rest a major controversy that was sought to be used for political gain.
The ‘Tamil Nadu Admissions to Undergraduate Courses in Medicine, Dentistry, Indian Medicine and Homeopathy on preferential basis to the Students of Government Schools 2020’ was approved by the Governor after the Solicitor General of India, Tushar Mehta gave his opinion, saying ‘the bill is in consonance with the Constitution of India’ on Thursday.
A communique from Raj Bhavan, which informed the people of Tamil Nadu of the Governor’s decision, also attached the letter from Tushar Mehta and the letter written by the Governor’s secretary Anandrao V Patil seeking the legal opinion on September 26.
Speaking about the 7.5 per cent reservation for government school students, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami said it would be implemented from this academic year itself and the Bill was brought in to ensure social justice and equality in medical education.
Answering questions from the media after paying floral tributes to Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar at his memorial in Pasumpon village in Ramanathapuram district on Friday on the occasion of Guru Pooja, marking the birth and death anniversaries of the Muthuramalinga Thevar, Palaniswami said that no demand was made by anybody for the Bill.
DMK President M K Stalin said that the governor gave his nod after 45 days since he had no other alternative. He was also speaking to the media after paying floral tributes at Pasumpon when he said the DMK’s protest and the remarks of Madras High Court judges brought about a change in the Governor’s heart.
Calling it a people’s victor, PMK founder S Ramadoss, in a statement, said the government should start the admission process immediately. The Governor’s announcement had brought down the tension among students, Ramadoss said.
CPM State secretary K Balakrishnan said the united protest of the people of the State led to the Governor giving his accent to the Bill but stressed on the need to seek exemption from NEET for Tamil Nadu, while CPI State secretary Mutharasan said the delay by the Governor was uncalled for. It was meaningless to withhold a Bill passed by the Assembly, Mutharasan said in a statement.
Among the others who welcomed the Governor approving the Bill were DMDK founder Vijayakanth, who was happy that over 300 students would benefit out of the 7.5 per cent reservation, and State BJP president L Murugan.
