The protests against the Odisha Government’s decision to increase the quantum of reservation of seats for SC and ST students in higher education are now spreading across the State.
After the medicos in Government-run teaching hospitals in Burla and Brahmapur hitting the streets, the students of the SCB Medical College here staged an anti-reservation demonstration on Friday.
Hundreds of students holding placards and shouting slogans against the Naveen Patnaik Government’s decision, held a rally and threatened to up their ante if the Government does not roll back its new reservation policy.
The Government has decided to increase the reservation of seats for SC students from eight per cent to 16.25 per cent and from 12 per cent to 22.5 per cent for ST students in higher education, including that of medical and engineering colleges.
The enhanced quota policy would come into effect from the 2015-16 academic session.
“The increase in quota would severely affect the higher medical education in the State, and it would have a cascading effect on the health services. It would be disastrous at the PG level because the SC and ST students are not able to cope up even with the challenging courses at the graduation level,” said a medico here.
“The meritorious general students would be deprived of higher education. The increase in quota should be immediately rolled back,” said another medico, suggesting that the system of reservation be done away with immediate effect.