Madhya Pradesh to provide reservation to government school students in medical colleges

Government school children will have to be given protection, otherwise they will fall behind compared to those studying in private schools, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on February 22 said that the State Government would provide government school students reservation in medical colleges. Asserting that the move was meant to make way for more students from poorer sections of society in these institutions, he added that the eligibility would be irrespective of the caste of the beneficiaries. 

“In medical education, the NEET [National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate)] examination is conducted and admissions [to medical colleges] happen on the basis of the merit list in it. In that, there are fewer students from our government schools and those from private ones get more [seats]. That’s why I will decide that I will give reservation to the children of government schools in medical studies irrespective of their caste, so that a certain number of children who have studied in government schools make it [to medical colleges],” he said, addressing a gathering at Balaghat district. 

While the specifics of the roadmap and implementation are still awaited, Mr. Chouhan also reiterated that the State Government would pay medical college fees for students from poor families.

“Government school children will have to be given protection, otherwise they will fall behind compared to those studying in private schools,” he said.

The announcement comes a few months after the government introduced Hindi textbooks in medical education, a move it said was to encourage more students from Hindi medium schools, many of whom are from an underprivileged background, to become doctors. The medium of instruction in Madhya Pradesh government schools is Hindi. 

Observers believe that besides the underprivileged families, many lower middle-class families in far-flung areas send their children to government schools and in an election year, the government hopes to impress upon voters from these sections with such “populist” moves.