Odisha: Committee formed to finalize modalities for reservation of seats in MBBS and B Tech courses for government school students
BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government on Thursday constituted a high-power committee headed by a former judge of the high court that would make necessary recommendation and finalize modalities regarding reservation of seats for the students of government high schools in state-run engineering and medical courses.
Justice (retired) AK Mishra will head the committee that has been formed in accordance with the decision of the state cabinet held on December 28. Other members of the committee include Ashok Kumar Das, former vice chancellor of Utkal University and vice-chairperson of the Odisha State Higher Education Council, CBK Mohanty, director, Medical Education and Training, BS Poonia, chairman, Council of High Secondary Education, G Reghu, director, technical education and training while AK Nayak, joint secretary, state skill development and technical education department will be the member convenor.
The committee will be mandated to submit its report within three months so that its recommendations can be implemented soon probably from the next academic year. The move of the Naveen Patnaik government to reserve seats in state-run medical and engineering colleges for students studied in government high schools is aimed to bring more equity, access, inclusivity along with excellence in the education system, said an official source.
According to sources, the panel would examine different aspects of reserving seats including percentage of seats to be reserved, the inclusion and exclusion criteria, creamy layer aspects and eligibility criteria of beneficiaries to get admission in MBBS and BTech courses. The panel would also examine the legal aspects of the state government’s decision and study whether any other states in the country are offering similar reservations.
“It would be improper on my part to make any comments as to what the committee would examine and recommend to the state government. I hope the committee will meet soon to discuss various aspects after which I can comment,” said a member of the committee.
The proposal to reserve seats for students in state government schools was first mooted in the BJD state council meeting held on December 21. “The objective of the decision to reserve seats is to provide confidence to meritorious students of government schools, to help them fulfilling their dreams to become doctors and engineers as they are at disadvantage to get coaching facilities centralized exams like NEET and JEE for medical and engineering courses,” said state parliamentary affairs minister Bikram Keshari Arukh, while briefing media after the cabinet decision.
Odisha currently provides total 33 per cent reservation in MBBS courses while it offers 36 per cent reservation in B Tech courses in state-run educational institutions.