Medical students are protesting affirmative action in India

May 14, 2006

Resident physicians have also gone on strike in support.



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{ 7 comments }

1 ipanema May 15, 2006 at 12:45 am

Increasing reserve seats for the lower caste at almost 50% is I think way too high. There are other students who are eligible as well. If they base entrance according to financial capability and not through merits, there’s bound to be public outcry like these. In India, even if you belong to a high caste, that’s the Brahmin and you dont have the merits and financial capacity to pay, you can’t enter.

They have what you call, reserve seats – for the lower caste; management seats – if you know someone inside who can get you in (imagine that kind of connection); payment seats – if you are financial endowed.

The government better reverse quota back to 22% to make everyone happy. :)

2 ipanema May 15, 2006 at 12:46 am

I mean FINANCIALLY endowed. :)

3 Seeji May 15, 2006 at 5:52 am

Actually the problem is the politics involved in this.. As you have mentioned it is not for the economically backword, the whole thing is a caste based reservation. Even a millionaire from backward (!!?) caste can easily get into med school with low scores when a below poverty line Brahmin or other forward caste can not get a seat even with a top rank.. we are protesting this injustice.

4 ipanema May 15, 2006 at 6:01 am

You’re right, Seeji, it’s clearly the politics of it. So, do you think the government is going to push through? Are they going to listen to protests?

5 Anirban May 15, 2006 at 11:24 am

If you remember, the last Mandal misadventure was a grand success, no matter some wounded protesters and the burnt body of a student. This time, apart from medicos rest of our populace seems oblivious. Once hardliner BJP, is also getting cold feet. Sadly I see nobody coming to our rescue. How could a group of well educated white collar people got disenfranchised is a jigsaw puzzle. Probably we don’t matter that much to the vote bank. Any way when the last time in democracy you had votes weighed and not counted?

6 ipanema May 15, 2006 at 12:09 pm

I think it was in 1990 that a similar decision took people to the streets.

The government’s decision is to help those in the lower caste gain or access quality education. On the other hand, it’s unfair if they join medical, management and engineering usually reserved for upper caste since most students vie for position in those disciplines in terms of merit. There’s tough competition.

If for humanitarian reasons, say an increase would probably help them, but to up it 27% more is unreasonable for arguments given.

7 Indian May 17, 2006 at 11:19 pm

No Seats are reserved for upper castes and no one is suggesting they should be. Upper castes have been competing the “Left Over” for decades now.

I know many undeserving lower caste engineers who got their seat because of reservation, after being able to afford the same schooling as I did.

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