Pune medical students hold protest rally against reservations

Pune, May 9 (UNI) B J Medical College students here today staged a peaceful protest rally against the proposal to increase OBC reservation in higher educational institutions and postgraduate courses in medical colleges.

Spokesman for the students, Dr Abhijit Baldota said that only merit should be given preference. He informed that signatures of 400 medical students had been collected, registering their protest against the reservations, which would be sent to President A P J Abdul Kalam.

Another medical student Dr Amit Surana said when it came to life saving fields like medicine, only intelligent and talented persons should be allowed to pursue higher studies. ''If there is no intellectual capacity then there are bound to be fatalities. We are witnessing disenchantment with the medical fraternity in society these days which is the result of reservations,'' he said.

An intern, Dr Adish Deshpande, said that reservations as a policy has failed.

''We have had reservations for 60 years and yet there is no sign of the OBC and others backward community coming up but it is the capable ones that are losing out,'' he said.

The students participated in a rally carrying placards going through the main city centres.

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