Assembly clears the deck for PG medical students

Mumbai: In a breather for medical students belonging to the Maratha community, the state Assembly Thursday passed an amendment to the SEBC Act 2018 Bill, extending the 16 per cent quota to post-graduate medical students this year.

The move thus cleared the decks for admission of PG medical students from the Maratha community.

Madan Yerawar, minister of state for the general administration department, tabled the bill in the state Assembly. The amended bill states, clause (a) of sub-section 4 of the said Act, provides that, notwithstanding any contained in any judgment, decree or order of any court or other authority, and subject to other provisions of the said Act, 16 per cent of the total seats in educational institutions, including private whether aided or non-aided, other than minority educational institutions referred to in clauses (1) of article 30 of the Indian Constitution shall be separately reserved for SEBC, including the Maratha community.

The amended law will ensure that there will be reservations in favour of candidates belonging to SEBC classes from the educational year 2019-20 and also for admissions to other educational courses, including under-graduate courses requiring the passing of the NEET or any other National Entrance Test.

The state government has already provided 16 per cent reservation to the numerically-dominant Maratha community by giving it a separate Social and Educational Backward Class (SEBC) status.