In a significant policy reversal, the Maharashtra government’s medical education department has withdrawn its earlier decision to implement the 10% Economically Weaker Section (EWS) reservation in private medical colleges. The rollback was officially notified on Wednesday, with the government clarifying that the quota would only be enforced if the Centre or respective regulatory councils increase the total number of seats, ensuring other categories remain unaffected.
This move comes just a month after the state government scrapped its controversial three-language policy on June 29 following intense public criticism.
The revised order, which amends the EWS reservation clause in the state’s medical admission brochure, states: “For MBBS, BDS, BAMS, BHMS, and BUMS courses, the 10% EWS quota will only apply if additional seats are sanctioned by the Central Government or relevant council. For other courses, the quota will be applied to existing seats.”
Principal Secretary of the Medical Education Department, Dheeraj Kumar, explained that the change was made after reviewing multiple court rulings, including those from the Supreme Court and High Court, and reflects last year’s policy framework.
The rollback has brought considerable relief to medical aspirants and their families, many of whom had expressed serious concerns that the EWS quota would significantly reduce the number of general merit seats, thereby raising cut-offs and reducing opportunities for non-reserved candidates. The issue gained traction after the release of the medical admissions brochure on July 23, which revealed the state’s intention to extend the EWS quota to private institutions without expanding the seat count — a measure that was taken by the Centre during the introduction of the quota in government medical colleges.
Parents, students, and private colleges had strongly opposed the decision. The Association of Private Medical Colleges formally appealed to the state to reconsider the move, while several parents and candidates submitted written objections and personally met with Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif on Tuesday to voice their disapproval.
The government’s course correction is being seen as a response to growing pressure from stakeholders and concerns over fairness and accessibility in the admission process.
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