PMK chief: Govt must educate students on need for quota

Terming the ongoing agitation by medical students as ‘‘uncalled for’’ and ‘‘engineered by vested interests for...

Terming the ongoing agitation by medical students as ‘‘uncalled for’’ and ‘‘engineered by vested interests for their own purpose’’, PMK leader S Ramadoss today appealed to the Government to defuse the situation by inviting the striking students for an immediate discussion on the issue.

Asking the Government to educate the students on the rationale of reservation and the constitutional commitment of the Government towards social and educational advancement of the backward classes, Ramadoss called for immediate action in bringing an ‘‘enabling legislation to implement Article 15 (5), which provides for reservation in the unaided private institutions immediately’’.

Ramadoss said the delay in bringing this legislation in the last 4-5 months has allowed the private institutions from not implementing

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the constitutional amendments which came into effect in January this year with the Presidential assent.

Further, calling for immediate legislation to provide 27 per cent reservation in Centrally funded institutions, Ramadoss also suggested the constitution of an expert group comprising academicians, administrators and constitutional lawyers which could submit a viable proposal for implementing the proposed reservation to OBCs. Ramadoss also called for greater allocation of resources for enhancing the infrastructure in educational institutions in case seats are increased.

Chhagan Bhujbal’s son arrested
MUMBAI: Pankaj Bhujbal, son of Maharashtra PWD Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, and his cousin Sameer were on Wednesday arrested when they attempted to take out a rally in support of the reservation policy, violating prohibitory orders. The Bhujbal cousins were arrested along with nearly 400 supporters who had gathered at Azad Maidan in South Mumbai to support the reservation policy. They were later released on personal bonds.

VARANASI
BHU junior docs’ strike enters Day 2

RESIDENT and junior doctors’ strike against the proposed OBC quota in higher educational institutions at a Banaras Hindu University affiliated hospital entered the second day on Wednesday. Striking medicos ran parallel OPDs outside the campus treating over 400 patients, Resident Doctors’ Association office bearer Shashi Kumar Mishra said. The protesting doctors solicited support from the aspiring engineering and medical students undergoing coaching classes in private institutions and distributed pamphlets, urging them to join their agitation. Meanwhile, pro-reservationist group Ambedkar Vidyarthi Parishad has condemned the stir and decided to mobilise people in support of the proposed 27 per cent reservation.

PANAJI
GMCH engages paramilitary staff

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GOA Medical College and Hospital engaged the para-clinical staff to help the consultant doctors as resident doctors struck work to extend support to agitating students over the police ‘‘excesses’’ on protesting doctors in Mumbai. While 180 resident doctors along with 100 interns and 300 students of GMCH went on a token strike, the hospital management had to cancel several operations scheduled for the day. Meanwhile, the Goa Association of Resident Doctors (GARD) took out a protest rally condemning the ‘‘brutality’’ on the agitating doctors. ‘‘We will chalk out our programme against the Centre’s proposed reservation policy in coordination with the All India Association of Resident Doctors and Indian Medical Association,’’ said GARD public relation officer, Paresh Desai.

CHANDIGARH
Anti-quota stir on in Punjab, Haryana

MEDICOS across Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh continued their protest by striking work, partially affecting health services. Officals said the Emergency services were being taken care of by senior consultants while Anindaya Banerjee, vice president of Association of Resident Doctors of PGIMER said the OPD services was ‘‘not running properly’’ and that parallel OPDs would be conducted from Thursday. He also claimed that over 600 residents were joined by about 50 physiotherapy residents and 60 basic medicine residents. GMCH, too, has intensified stir. About 500 students and teachers of Dayanand Medical College, Baba Jaswant Singh Dental College and Lord Mahavira Homeopathic College held a protest rally and burnt the effigy of Union HRD Minister Arjun Singh. The third batch of twenty one medical students sat on chain fast in the DMC Hospital premises this morning. Meanwhile, the Ludhiana chapter of IMA has given a call of Ludhiana medical bandh on Thursday, but emergency services will not be hit.

AHMEDABAD
Resident docs begin 48-hour-strike

RESIDENT doctors of five hospitals in the city started a 48-hours token strike to extend support to anti-quota agitations by the medical students, which entered the fifth day. Around 1,000 junior doctors of five hospitals — City Civil Hospital, VS Hospital, LG Hospital, Shardaben Hospital and Nagri Eye Hospital started the strike at 9 am. Around 700 doctors and students have gathered at the City Civil Hospital and took out a rally later in the day, said a BJ Medical College student.