Docs stir intensifies; govt adamant on quota

New Delhi, May 17 (UNI) Resident and junior doctors and medical students today intensified their stir against the Centre's proposed OBC reservation policy even as the government declared that there was no question of going back on the issue but said raising the number of seats in premier institutions such as IITs and IIMs was an option.

''Our commitment is there. We are not going back. At the same time, we will try to take along the agitating medical students who have a right to express their dissenting voice,'' Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh said while replying to a debate on a calling attention motion moved by Mr Santosh Gangwar (BJP) and others in the Lok Sabha.

Without clarifying whether reservation would be provided for OBC students for the 2006-07 academic year, the Minister said there was no delay on the part of the government in announcing its new quota policy.

Meanwhile, PMK supremo Dr S Ramadoss has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi to go for an ordinance to immediately provide for OBC quota in premier higher educational institutions from the 2006-07 academic year.

In the capital, medical services were hit... Eds: here pick up from line one, para four of DI 41 AGITATION-ROUNDUP-QUOTA DOCTORS.

UNI Team PK KN1946