No end in sight to anti-quota protests as UP doctors also start an indefinite hunger strike.
No end in sight to anti-quota protests as UP doctors also start an indefinite hunger strike.
NEW DELHI: Medical students’ protests against the proposed reservations showed no signs of ending as the stir entered its seventh day on Thursday. Though over 100 doctors have collapsed during the ongoing indefinite hunger strike in the Capital, it doesn’t seem to have dented the determination of the protestors.
A delegation of both students and resident doctors met a committee comprising of Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Minister of State for Statistics and Programme implementation Oscar Fernandes and Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss and submitted their memorandum again.
The ministers, on their part, gave a few assurances to the students and asked them to withdraw the strike. One was that they would try and chalk out a strategy wherein the number of general seats available would not be reduced. Seats would be increased to accommodate the reserved category students. The ministers also said that there would be an increase in the number of institutions like the AIIMS and IITs.
The students, however rejected their demands.
Medical students also met LK Advani and presented a memorandum to him as well. "He gave us a patient hearing, though his party also approves of reservations," said a student representative.
On Thursday, various groups of lawyers, executives, private practitioners and students from Delhi University and JNU reached AIIMS to show their support to medical students and their cause. Doctors of Municipal Corporation of Delhi-run hospitals also held a rally against reservations.
Meanwhile, the Union Health Ministry has asked the medical superintendents of hospitals to put out advertisements for recruitment of doctors on a walk-in basis.
Women of several resident welfare associations here also joined the doctors on Thursday.
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