Arunachal Government rectifies MBBS seat allocation discrepancies, reserves 85 per cent for APST candidates

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) Arunachal Pradesh branch and the Doctors Association have expressed their gratitude to the Arunachal Pradesh government for addressing and rectifying the discrepancies in the MBBS seat allocation at Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (TRIHMS), the state's sole medical college. In a recent press briefing, Dr. Kesang Wangdi, President of IMA Arunachal, and Dr. Minggam Pertin, the General Secretary, highlighted the changes in the seat reservation policy.

Previously, out of the 100 available MBBS seats, 15% were allocated to the All India quota. From the remaining 85 per cent, 20 per cent were reserved for non-APST (Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribe) candidates and 4 per cent for NRI candidates. This allocation left only 66 per cent of the seats for APST candidates, which was inconsistent with the reservation policies generally observed in state-run medical colleges. According to the National Medical Commission (NMC) guidelines, state medical colleges are required to reserve 15 per cent of their seats for the central quota, which is open to all categories, while the remaining 85 per cent is under the state's discretion.

Dr. Wangdi explained that upon recognizing these discrepancies, a thorough discussion was held among the medical community and the public. They concluded that the allocation issues were not intentional but due to oversight. Subsequently, the IMA submitted a memorandum to the Arunachal Pradesh government on July 18th, prior to the assembly session. The memorandum addressed two primary concerns: the reservation of 20 per cent of the seats for non-APST candidates from the 85 per cent state quota, and the 4 per cent reservation for NRI candidates, which reduced the APST reserved seats further.

Given that Arunachal Pradesh is a predominantly tribal state, the IMA argued that local domiciles should have primary access to these seats. The Health Minister, Biyuram Wahge, promptly took up the matter with Chief Minister Pema Khandu and the Commissioner Secretary of Health, Pawan Sain. Within two days, a revised notification was issued, ensuring that 85% of the seats are reserved exclusively for APST candidates, with the remaining 15% reserved for the national quota.

Dr. Wangdi concluded by thanking the government for its swift action in addressing and correcting the reservation policy, ensuring fair representation for APST candidates in the state's medical college