The Assam Cabinet has announced that it has decided to increase the number of reserved seats for six communities demanding Scheduled Tribe (ST) status in medical education for the 2022-23 academic year, as stated in a report by PTI. On September 23, while briefing the media post the cabinet meeting, Tourism Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah said that the six communities include Tea garden tribes, Koch Rajbongshi, Tai Ahom, Matak, Moran and Chutia, which are currently Other Backward Communities (OBC), have seats reserved for students from these communities studying MBBS.

Following this, now, the tea garden tribes will have 26 reserved seats, 10 seats for Koch Rajbongshis, 7 for Tai Ahom, 6 for Chutias and 5 for Matak and Moran each, he said. Three seats will be reserved under the ex-servicemen quota for Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) studies.

Additionally, the cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, also decided to increase the upper age limit at entry-level posts in medical colleges from 38 to 40 years for the General category, 41 to 43 years for OBC and More Other Backward Class (MOBC) and 43 to 45 years for SC/ST category applicants, to motivate PG doctors to offer their services as faculty in the medical colleges, as stated in a report by The Indian Express.