NEET OBC reservation: Muslim body demands 10 pc sub-quota for community

Recalling the Ranganath Mishra Commission report, the Jamaat said "if they (government) really want to uplift the backward classes then 10% sub-quota for Muslims should be fixed", ETV Bharat correspondent Mohammad Tauseef Ahmad reports

New Delhi: As 27 per cent of the all-India quota admissions will now be reserved for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in all undergraduate and post graduate medical and dental courses, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind on Saturday demanded 10 per cent sub-quota for Muslims.

Recalling the Justice Ranganath Mishra Commission report, the Jamaat said "if they (government) really want to uplift the backward classes then 10% sub-quota for Muslims should be fixed."

Speaking to ETV Bharat, JIH vice president Muhammad Salim Engineer, said, "As OBCs includes so many castes, the 27 per cent reservation will benefit only those who are educationally strong. Muslims will be less benefited and the government should make an arrangement of sub-quota as per the population percentage."

"We would also like to remind the government about the Ranganath Commission report which had recommended 10 per cent reservation for Muslims. If the government is really serious to back up the educationally backward people then they should implement the recommendations of the Justice Ranganath Mishra Commission," he added.

Beena Pallical, general secretary, National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR) said, "they (government) are just gearing up for Uttar Pradesh and upcoming assembly elections in four other states. I don't think they can give reservation to anybody. It really doesn't matter because these are all political games that are being played out since OBCs make a large chunk in the country."

"The 27 per cent reservation for OBCs and 10 per cent reservation for the economically weaker sections (EWS) in the All India Quota (AIQ) scheme for undergraduate and postgraduate medical/dental courses are basically being used from the existing number of seats. This is good for OBCs, the only thing is that it should be effectively implemented," she added.

According to a health ministry statement, the decision will benefit nearly 1,500 OBC students seeking to join MBBS courses and 2,500 backward category students in postgraduate courses.

The AIQ scheme consists of 15 per cent of total available undergraduate seats and 50% of total available postgraduate seats in government medical colleges. There was no reservation in the AIQ scheme till 2007. Subsequently, the Supreme Court introduced reservations of 15 percent for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and 7.5 per cent for Scheduled Tribes (STs) in the AIQ scheme.