HC Stays EWS Quota in Private Medical Colleges in AP

 Vijayawada: Through an interim order, the Andhra Pradesh High Court has stayed implementation of the Economically Weaker Sections quota in private medical colleges in the state.

A two judge division of Chief Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur and Justice Cheemalapati Ravi held a hearing here on Tuesday a plea to revoke GO 94 issued by the state government extending EWS reservation to ‘convener quota’ without proportionally increasing the seats by 10 per cent.

Petitioners’ counsel Tagore Yadav argued that if the state intended to implement EWS quota, it should obtain permission from the National Medical Commission to enhance the seats proportionately.

“Without enhancing the seats, the order for reservation of 10 per cent seats under EWS quota should not be implemented. He argued that as the state government issued GO 94 by allocating 10 per cent seats under EWS quota from the total number of seats available under convener quota, “this would result in a reduction of 10 per cent seats in the general category.”

When the court asked whether the petitioners’ interests would be affected due to GO 94, the counsel replied in the affirmative.

Special government pleader S Pranathi argued that GO 94 was issued based on a directive from the NMC. “NMC has made it clear that no increase in seats would be permitted in the private colleges and EWS quota be implemented within the available seats. Hence, the government issued the GO.”

NMC’s counsel Vivek Chandrasekhar told the court that they were ready to sanction additional seats to the colleges having requisite infrastructure. “We had asked the colleges to apply for sanction of seats if they have proper facilities.”

Counsel claimed, “We are having the authority to sanction 50 additional seats in a proportionate manner.”

After hearing the arguments, the court directed the Centre, the state government and the NTR University of Health Sciences to file the counter and posted the next hearing to Aug. 20.