J&K: Medical Students Protest Against Reservation Policy, Reduction Of Open Merit Seats In NEET

The students said that recent policy changes have frustrated them as they adversely affected merit-based admissions in medical colleges.

Srinagar: Students of Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar on Monday held a protest against the reservation policy and the recent reduction of open merit seats in NEET PG admissions. Expressing serious concerns over the move, the students demanded immediate revocation of the order.

The students said that recent policy changes, including the implementation of SO 176 and SO 305, have frustrated them as they adversely affected merit-based admissions in medical colleges.

They claimed that the open merit quota has been reduced to 27-30 per cent after the implementation of the new reservation rules and Rule 17 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Rules as against the earlier 75 per cent of PG seats under SRO 49 of 2018.

“Out of the total 293 PG seats available in government medical colleges, only 78 seats were effectively available for pure open merit candidates this year. This is a sheer injustice,” said a protesting student.

He said the scenario brought frustration among deserving students who have worked hard to secure a higher rank. “How can a student with a rank of 90,000 get an MD seat in Radiology while one with a rank of 739 is denied a seat in the same branch?”

The students stressed the importance of merit in specialized courses like MD/MS, arguing that a high level of competence is required to ensure quality healthcare in these fields.

Furthermore, the students called for the implementation of a bond system for PG and DM courses in Jammu and Kashmir, as is practiced in other states. “This will encourage doctors to serve in underserved areas and address healthcare disparities in the region,” he said.

The protesting students have appealed to the Omar Abdullah-led government to restore the open merit quota and abolish Rule 17 to prevent double allotment of seats to reserved categories.