Total Medical Education Reservations Now 49.5%

Medical and dental courses in the country will have 27 per cent reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and 10 per cent for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) under the All India Quota Scheme for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday. This will apply to courses like MBBS, MD, MS, BDS, MDS and diploma medical programmes from this academic year. Around 5,550 seats will be reserved. The decision is also being seen in the context of next year's Uttar Pradesh elections where caste and communal allegiances play a big role.