Govt announced 20% quota in PG medical for in-service medical officers

Until 2017, in-service medical officers had a 50% reservation of seats only in post MBBS diploma courses and not in MD/MS courses

Mumbai The state ministry of medical education has reserved a 20% quota in postgraduate (PG) medical admissions for in-service medical officers. The government resolution (GR), which was released on September 26 evening, comes nearly six months after the previous Uddhav Thackeray-led government had announced 25% reservation in PG medical admissions for MBBS graduates who serve in district hospitals for a minimum of three years and apply for PG post.

The government resolution (GR), which was released on September 26 evening, comes nearly six months after the previous Uddhav Thackeray-led government had announced 25% reservation in PG medical admissions for MBBS graduates who serve in district hospitals for a minimum of three years and apply for PG post (HT File)

“From the academic year 2022-23, government approval is being given to reserve 20% seats for in-service candidates for admissions to PG medical and diploma courses in government and civic-run medical colleges in the state,” states the GR. It further states that apart from this reservation, in-service candidates will not get extra marks for their work, and that their admissions will depend on NEET-PG marks only.

Until 2017, in-service medical officers had a 50% reservation of seats only in post MBBS diploma courses and not in MD/MS courses. In addition to the reserved seats, these candidates also got the benefit of additional marks for work done in remote and/or difficult areas. The reservation was discontinued post 2017 as demand for diploma courses reduced.

In January, the Bombay high court (HC) heard a plea by a medical officer who sought for the in-service quota to be restored for the 2021-22 academic year. In his plea, Dr Suryakant Lodhe, the petitioner, had highlighted the need for providing medical expertise in rural and tribal areas to address malnutrition and child mortality rates there. The Bombay high court had given time until March to the state government to come up with a reservation policy.

In March, a meeting was held between state government officials from medical education as well as health departments along with the then medical education minister Amit Deshmukh and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar. In April, the government announced that in-service medical officers will now have 25% reservation in state quota seats in postgraduate medical admissions. While the quota could not be applied for the 2021-22, it will be applicable for the next academic year.

The move, however, has once again angered students who feel the pool of seats for open/general category students keeps shrinking with the implementation of new reservation quotas. Many also feel this delay in introducing the quota will affect other students aiming for admissions in 2022-23.

“The admissions brochure for this year is already released and there’s no mention of the new quota. The change will affect admission preference of students, even top scorers of NEET-PG because the pool of seats will reduce substantially, which will eventually leave them with very little option but to opt for seats in private medical colleges,” said Muzaffar Khan, a medical admission activist.