Medical students in Delhi boycott classes

NEW DELHI: Resident doctors and interns resumed duties in Delhi hospitals on Friday, but medical students boycotted classes protesting against the proposed move to hike OBC quota in educational institutions.

"The situation at the hospital today is completely normal. All resident doctors and interns have come back to work," Additional Medical Superintendent of LNJP Hospital Dr M S Chopra said.

The doctors were back on duty on Thursday night at the Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital, a senior administration official of the hospital said.

The resident doctors and interns had joined students in the agitation on Thursday, observing a one-day token strike.  The students said they will continue to boycott classes and hold demonstrations "till the Government comes clean" on the controversial reservation issue.

"We are not politicians. We are students. Arjun Singh (Union HRD Minister) spoke to us as a politician and, in fact, had nothing satisfactory to say on the issue. Our dilemma on the issue continues," said Sujit Sinha of Vardhaman Mahavir Medical College.

The students, who have threatened to launch a nationwide campaign if their demands were not met, gathered at the India Gate lawns to protest against the proposal to increase quota for the backward castes in institutes of higher learning.