Government preparing to implement OBC reservation in NEET

◾️Can give instructions to states to implement quota according to their rules
◾️After Anupriya in NDA meeting, now Sushil Modi raised the issue in Rajya Sabha
◾️Ministry of Health supported the implementation of quota before the High Court committee

This year OBC reservation in National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) All India Quota may apply. After receiving feedback from various levels in this matter, the central government is preparing to take a decision in this regard soon. The Health Ministry has supported the implementation of OBC quota in the committee attached to the High Court. It is worth mentioning that in the NDA and all-party meeting held before the monsoon session, Minister of State for Commerce Anupriya Patel raised this matter.

According to highly placed sources, there has been a lot of churning at the top level regarding the non-implementation of OBC reservation in state and state medical colleges in NEET. This was also discussed especially in the context of assembly elections in five states including Uttar Pradesh early next year. After receiving feedback at several levels, the government has made up its mind to take steps to implement the OBC quota. Under this, the states can be directed to implement the OBC quota according to the rules of their respective states. It is noteworthy that at present the OBC quota is applicable only in central universities. Various state and private medical colleges are being given 15 percent quota to ST, ST and economically backward.

After Anupriya, Sushil Modi raised the matter

Sushil Modi raised his voice in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday after Anupriya Patel, the president of NDA’s ally Apna Dal and Minister of State for Commerce, in the OBC reservation case in NEET. Anupriya had raised the matter with the Prime Minister in separate all-party and NDA meetings held on June 18. Apart from this, he had demanded the intervention of the Home Minister and the Prime Minister at the personal level also citing resentment among the backward classes. After this, BJP MP Sushil Modi in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday also demanded restoration of OBC quota in NEET.

Positive attitude of the Centre-Ministry of Health

Sources say that the Health Ministry took a positive stand before the committee constituted by the High Court in this dispute case. The ministry told the committee that it is in favor of implementing the OBC quota. Significantly, the dispute related to this has been pending in the Supreme Court since 2015. The government has so far kept a distance from intervening, citing the dispute being in the Supreme Court.