Medical entrance suspended over reservation

Shillong, Aug 20 (UNI) The Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry has again postponed the entrance test for the MBBS course in the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS), Meghalaya, a senior government official said today.

The entrance test has been put off for the second time after Union Health Minister Dr Anbumani Ramadoss summoned Meghalaya Chief Secretary Ranjan Chatterjee for discussing issues over the reservation of MBBS seats for the indigenous students of the state.

On August 3, the Khasi Student's Union (KSU) stalled the maiden entrance test after the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry refused to reserve 30 per cent of MBBS seats for the indigenous people of the state.

''We will sort out the issue on August 25 during the talks with the Union Health Minister. As of now the entrance test scheduled on August 24 has been cancelled,'' Mr Chatterjee told reporters.

Mr Chatterjee, who held closed door meeting with KSU leaders yesterday, said, ''If the number of seats cannot be increased, we would have to prepare the State Reservation Policy from among the allotted nine seats.'' In fact, Dr Ramadoss had made it clear to Chief Minister Dr Donkupar Roy that there could not be any kind reservation for the NEIGRHIMS' MBBS course as the Institute was listed as a ''Centre of Excellence''.

At present, NEIGRIHMS reserves nine seats out of the total of 50 for the state, without any specific reservation for tribal students.

Meanwhile, KSU president Samuel Jyrwa said the student body would wait for the outcome of the August 25 meeting before deciding on its future course of action. The KSU threatened to disrupt the classes later in case the entrance examination was held in Guwahati.

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