SC okays reservation in PG medical courses

New Delhi, Jan 31: The Supreme Court today permitted the Union Health Ministry to implement its decision to provide 22.5 per cent reservation in admission to post graduate courses of medical sciences from the academic year 2007-2008.

Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramanian, appearing for the government told the Court that the Centre has decided to implement 22.5 percent reservation for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (15 per cent for SC and 7.5 per cent for ST) from the All India Quota, which is 50 per cent of the total seats.

The remaining 50 per cent seats are allotted to the states.

A bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justices Dalveer Bhandari and D K Jain permitted the Centre to go ahead and implement its decision from the academic year 2007-2008.

The Centre had moved an application seeking clarification of the court's order passed in February 2005.

The decision could not be implemented earlier as no seats were available in the All India Quota for reservation. The result of Common Entrance Test to be conducted by AIIMS is going to be declared on February 14 and first counselling is going to be held in first week of March.

UNI