Srinagar: Doctors in Srinagar are protesting against the reduction of Open Merit (OM) postgraduate medical seats, urging authorities to ensure fairness in postgraduate admissions.

On Tuesday, several doctors gathered at the Government Medical College (GMC) campus in Srinagar, raising slogans to support their demands. They criticized Rule 17 of the reservation policy, calling it "draconian and unique to J&K," as reported by Daily Excelsior.

The protesting doctors emphasized the importance of maximizing reservation in specialty courses like NEET PG. They argued that MBBS students study under identical conditions, accessing the same resources, such as books, faculty, and libraries, which enables them to compete based on merit.

They stressed that exams like NEET PG, which serve as entrance tests for specialty courses, must prioritize merit to select the most deserving candidates.

According to Daily Excelsior, the SRO 49 issued on January 30, 2018, allocated 75% of seats to Open Merit. However, amendments under SO 176, issued on March 15, 2024, and SO 305, issued on May 21, 2024, reduced this quota to 40%. After applying Horizontal Reservation and Rule 17, the effective OM quota drops below 30%.

Expressing their concerns over these changes, doctors assembled at GMC Srinagar. Dr. Saqib, one of the protestors, stated, “For NEET PG 2024, only 78-80 unreserved candidates secured seats out of 293 total seats in the state, which is merely 27%, while the majority went to reserved categories.”

He highlighted the anxiety and frustration caused by this significant reduction, adding that unreserved candidates view it as a blow to merit-based admissions.

In addition to opposing the reduction in OM seats, the protestors demanded the removal of Rule 17 of the J&K Reservation Rules 2004-2005. They argued that the rule permits reserved category candidates who secure seats through open merit to claim an additional reserved seat when upgrading to a higher specialty.

“The vacated OM seat doesn’t return to the OM category but is instead allocated to the reserved pool, disrupting merit-based selection,” a doctor explained.

The protestors also called for the implementation of a three-year bond system for PG and DM courses, similar to practices in other states, to ensure equitable service provision.

They highlighted disparities in NEET PG 2024, noting that of the 293 seats in government colleges, open merit initially accounted for 113 seats (38.5%). However, after applying Rule 17 and horizontal reservation, OM seats were reduced to 78, making up only 26.6% of the total.

The doctors also pointed out that only seven out of 28 EWS seats were filled, while the 21 vacant seats intended for the OM pool were allocated to reserved categories, further exacerbating the issue.