In a relief to 250 Maratha students whose admissions to post-graduate medical and dental courses for the academic year 2019-20 were cancelled, state Governor C Vidyasagar Rao on Monday signed an ordinance to amend the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Act, 2018 to restore the admissions. Even though the Supreme Court had cancelled admissions of PG students of medical and dental courses, the ordinance has now included the admissions of undergraduate and other courses by amending the section 16 of the SEBC Act, 2018.
The ordinance was issued by the Governor on the basis of the advice given by the state government to provide the benefit of reservations in admissions to SEBC classes in medical and dental in postgraduate courses and other educational courses including undergraduate courses.
The state cabinet at its special meeting held on May 17 had cleared the ordinance to amend the SEBC Act, 2018 to reverse a Supreme Court judgment barring the state from implementing the Maratha quota for admissions to postgraduate medical courses this year.
Apart from the reservation in medical admission, the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (Amendment and Validation) Ordinance, 2019 will also pave the way for reservation in appointments in public services and posts in the state.
The state Governor’s spokesperson told DNA, “There shall now 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 undergraduate courses requiring the passing of National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) or any other national entrance test.”
The government has amended section 16 of EBC Act by adding subsection (ia) for applying the admissions to SEBC class in respect of all admissions affected after the date of coming into force of the SEBC Act, 2018 covering both the postgraduate medical and dental courses and also admission to other educational courses including undergraduate courses.
Reservation expert Balasaheb Sarate said, “We are hopeful that all the admissions for PG medical and dental courses will now be restored. Besides, the admissions to undergraduate and all other courses will be sustained under the SEBC category for 2019-20 following the release of an ordinance.”
However, Dr Anju Meswani said, “Students from the open category are prepared to challenge the ordinance in the court of law.”
Clash Of Interests
- Maratha students have refused to withdraw protest
- General category students to step up agitation against the move
- Admissions of more than 2,000 PG students are at stake, they claim
- They propose to challenge the ordinance in the court of law
- Maratha students say their reservation is based on their financial background
- Legal experts believe the ordinance may amount to malice in law as it attempts to overreach judicial orders
- Ordinance will be placed before the state legislature during the monsoon session
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