[Pankaj_Vats]

http://www.newkerala.com/news2.php?a...lnews&id=49200

300 Delhi medicos arrested while protesting against OBC quota hike

New Delhi: Police arrested around 300 protesting medical students while they were marching towards the residence of Union Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh to protest against the hike in Other Backward Class (OBC) quota in the higher educational institutions.

Police went into action after students of five medical colleges blocked the road leading to Arjun Singh's residence in the heart of the capital.

Some students were dragged by the police and forced to board buses that were driven away.

In the latest move, the government plans to reserve 27 percent seats in all central universities over an above the existing quota, taking the total reservation to almost 50 percent, which means lesser number of seats for meritorious students from the general category.

Arjun Singh's recent statement on this score has once again revived the Mandal issue after 16 years. Now, the reservation quota would be increased from 22.5 percent to 49.5 percent.

The reservation would be made in all medical courses including post-graduate courses such as MD and MS in institutions like All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (Chandigarh) and Vardhman Mahavir Medical College (Delhi), Lady Hardinge (Delhi) and Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research (Pondicherry).

The uproar over the reservation issue began when Centre proposed to extend the reservation for the backward classes in the higher educational institutions in the name of "long overdue development in a dispassionate manner". The proposal based on the Mandal formula aims to provide 27 per cent quota for OBCs in central educational institutions and the IIMs and IITs.

Centre is likely to introduce a bill in Parliament during the second part of the session beginning May 10.

The 104th Constitution amendment gives the right to the government to take steps for advancement of socially and educationally backward classes.

This proposal is viewed as a vote-bank appeasement policy. Ever since the news of the proposed reservation plan became public, the government is facing severe criticism. First, the Election Commission attacked HRD Minister for his going public with plan for reservations in elite institutions of learning, even as the election process was on in five states.

The reservation has also provoked the students across the country.

Note: Listen folks, if we extend our support in protest, it would help in
bringing this issue foremost. We can show up peacefully at prominent places of our cities. So many people even do not know about this. We have to spread awareness among the public.

For mumbai, please send me pm.