The Supreme Court’s decision to dismiss pleas of the Tamil Nadu government to implement OBC reservations in the All India Quota in medical seats left many in the state angry. The Supreme Court’s decision came after the Centre told the Madras High Court that they would not be able to implement the reservations this academic year since there wasn’t enough time. The Court and the Centre’s decision could have potentially led to 3758 medical seats being denied to members of the other backward communities in the country.
According to the All India Federation of Other Backward Classes Employees’ Welfare Association, the OBCs were deprived of 3758 medical seats due to the non-implementation of the 27 percent reservation this year. In Tamil Nadu, a total of 764 seats that should have gone to the OBCs if we had the state had followed 50 percent quota as per TN Reservation Act. In the dental admissions, the AIOBC pointed out that there was no OBC reservations in their 380 available seats in the All India Quota. The Association has been at the forefront of the demands for proper OBC reservations in medical seats. In June, it was revealed that the OBCs had been forced to miss out on over 10,000 medical seats just in the last three years. Thousands singed a document demanding immediate action. Subsequently, Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi, wrote to the Prime Minister demanding that he intervene in the matter.
The issue was finally taken to the Supreme Court who asked the petitioners, such as the DMK to approach the High Court first. The Madras High Court ruled that there was constitutional hurdle standing in the way of the quota implementation and the Centre too said it supported the reservation. However, the Centre eventually told the court that it was too late for them to implement the reservation this academic year. This invited a ot of criticism from opposition parties especially in Tamil Nadu.
