Madhya Pradesh: Shivraj Chouhan announces 5% quota in medical colleges for students from govt schools

Madhya Pradesh  chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday announced that his government will give 5% reservation in medical studies to students from government schools from this year. 

“For the first time in the country, the Madhya Pradesh government has taken a decision to be implemented from this year under which 5 per cent reservation will be given to children from government school in medical studies. Only government school students will be admitted for these seats,” the chief minister said.

Chouhan claimed that ever since admission in medical colleges started through the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), children from government schools were not able to become doctors.

“Only students from private schools used to clear NEET till now. But two lists will be prepared from now, one for government school students and another for those from private schools,” he added.

Chouhan asserted that children from poor backgrounds must also get a chance to move ahead.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan made the announcement while addressing a programme organised in Jabalpur to mark the martyrdom day of the tribal icons of 1857 uprising King Shankarshah and his son Kunwar Raghunath Shah.

He also announced that the construction of a memorial of tribal queen Durgawati at a cost of ₹100 crore. 

The foundation stone laying ceremony of the project will take place on October 5, added Chouhan. 

Chouhan took a jibe at the Congress party and said that the party is fake.

He made the remark while addressing the reporters in Jabalpur.

The elections to the 230-member assembly in Madhya Pradesh are due by November this year.

On August 17, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had released its first list of candidates from 39 seats it had lost in the 2018 state assembly polls.

As part of poll preparations, workers’ conferences were organised by the BJP in 200 out of 230 assembly constituencies.