For communities desiring ST status, the Assam Cabinet agrees to enhance the number of medical seats
For the academic year 2022–2023, the Assam Cabinet has resolved to enhance the number of reserved seats for each of the six communities requesting Scheduled Tribe status in medical education by two. Six communities—the Tea Garden Tribes, Koch Rajbongshi, Tai Ahom, Matak, Moran, and Chutia—that are currently classified as Other Backward Communities (OBC) have seats set aside for students from those communities in the MBBS programme, according to Tourism Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah.
According to him, the tea garden tribes would now have 26 reserved seats, the Koch Rajbongshis 10, the Tai Ahom 7, the Chutias 6, and the Matak and Moran 5 apiece. For studies leading to a Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS), three seats will be set aside under the ex-servicemen quota. In order to encourage PG doctors to volunteer their services as faculty in the medical colleges, the meeting, presided over by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, also decided to raise the upper age limit at entry level posts in medical colleges from 38 to 40 years for general category applicants, 41 to 43 years for OBC and More Other Backward Class (MOBC) category applicants, and 43 to 45 years for SC/ST category applicants.
The cabinet also resolved to speed up the City Gas Distribution Pipeline (CGDP) construction process by permitting the Deputy Commissioners to grant right-of-way authorization as soon as possible after receiving a comprehensive plan, preferably within 15 days and no later than 30 days. The meeting also decided to lease land to the All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) for setting up an Academic Research and Career Information Centre at Betkuchi village in Kamrup Metro district, Baruah said.
(source: PTI)
