SC order against domicile-based PG medical quota unfair, will file appeal: Minister Ma Subramanian

CHENNAI: The State is all set to file a review petition in the Supreme Court against the ruling on the domicile-based reservation for admissions to post-graduate (PG) medical courses.

This follows the apex court verdict nullifying the State quota, terming it unconstitutional, as it infringes upon the Right to Equality guaranteed under Article 14 of the Constitution.

“Chief Minister MK Stalin is consulting with the legal experts. A review petition will be filed soon,” said Health Minister Ma Subramanian. He added that the judgment would affect the 69 per cent reservation for in-service candidates and minorities in self-financing medical colleges in the State. The verdict is unfair to the State, he said.

Ma Subramanian added that every year, 15 per cent of MBBS/BDS seats and 50 per cent of PG seats and super speciality seats are surrendered for All India Quota. “At least 50 per cent of those from Tamil Nadu should be given preference in PG seats in the State. It is unfair to the State as Tamil Nadu leads in the medical infrastructure, medical education and facilities in the country,” said Ma Subramanian.

He added that the seats for MD, MS, MDS, MCH and DM medical courses are high in Tamil Nadu. As many as 2,294 MD, MS, and diploma medical seats in the State and a total of 1,207 students from Tamil Nadu would usually get the seats, and the rest are filled by the All India quota. After the recent judgment, the seats will be lost to the students of other States.

Ma Subramanian clarified that the judgement would not affect the PG admissions this year. The two rounds of counselling have been completed for PG seats so far this year. Recalling the issue of super speciality seats in 2020, he said that the government was asked to give 100 per cent seats for all India quota, and the government had filed a case and won it in 2022. Currently, only 50 per cent of seats are given for the all-India quota. We will file a petition and uphold social justice,” he said.

Emphasising that the State government has been spending and managing the medical institutions, infrastructure and education in these institutions, he said that is unfair for the people of Tamil Nadu to give the seats to candidates hailing from other States.

The rights of the respective States will be lost due to this judgment, the Health Minister said. Apart from this, the 50 percent reservation in private colleges and minority institutions will also be affected, he added.