PANJIM: The medical career of students studying in Goa Medical College (GMC), Bambolim, from academic year 2013-14 stands threatened with the intention of the State government to reserve nearly 35 seats out of 125 seats (28 per cent) for students belonging to OBC, ST and SC categories.
These students coming from reserved categories with scores of bare minimum 45 per cent passing marks will now displace 25-30 rank holding Goan merit general or open category students scoring above 70 per cent marks.
The contention of the meritorious students is that at MBBS entry level, the students belonging to OBC, ST and SC with passing marks of just 45 per cent enjoy the privilege of 41 per cent seat of seats reserved for Goan students, displacing meritorious students scoring above 70 per cent.
These same students being further allowed privilege of 41 per cent reservation at post-graduation level effectively will further displace meritorious students scoring above 70 per cent marks.
According to the meritorious students, had they been aware of the further reservation of 41 per cent at post-graduate level for OBC, ST and SC, since the year 2014-15, they would have chosen alternative courses or pursued medical careers outside the State. The unanimous view of these students is that “if at all the government wants to appease the electorate, the same can be given effect to with prospective effect starting with the batch of students to join MBBS from academic year 2024-25”.
Many parents of meritorious students are concerned that their wards “may end up with mental breakdown”. “These are the same students who devoted 120 hours of week for six years through their MBBS internship and bond residency, even through the Covid pandemic,” a parent said.
What irks some students is that some elements are clandestinely pressing with some elected MLAs to push the “unfair reservation policy with vested interest”.
Students and parents also questioned the application of mind of the Expert Committee constituted by the government in haste, which comprised government officials, chairman of Goa OBC Commission and the president of Goa Medical Council.
The parents and students pointed out that the GMC Dean, this year, has reportedly conveyed to the government favouring reservation of the PG seats quota, “whereas last year the opinion of the Dean was against reservation of seats quota as patients would be at the risk and in the hands of mediocre PG and non-meritorious doctors”. Students sought to know what made the GMC Dean to reverse his opinion since last year.
Members of Goa Medical Council apparently were never consulted and are against reservation of seats quota, endorsing the same opinion of the Dean that was conveyed to the government last year.
“Yet, the President of Goa Medical Council purportedly conveyed his personal consent to the reservation policy as though it was unanimous opinion of the Goa Medical Council,” the meritorious students stated.
According to the aggrieved students,“The people of Goa must be aware that that if the elected Members across all parties go ahead with their intentions, then the medical services in the State would be a risk to Goan patients”.
It may be recalled that in May this year, the State government reserved 41 per cent quota seats for OBC, ST and SC students for post-graduate courses in the GMC. The government reserved 27 per cent seats for OBC, 12 per cent for ST and 2 per cent to SC communities.
In October 2021, the High Court of Bombay at Goa had struck down the State government’s decision of reserving 41 per cent of seats quota for post-graduate courses in GMC, Bambolim.