Former Minister Harish Rao Raises Concern Over SC Ruling on Medical Quota
Former minister T Harish Rao has voiced serious concerns about the recent Supreme Court ruling that nullifies the local reservation quota for post-graduate (PG) medical seats. He warned that this decision could have negative consequences for students from Telangana and may lead to a shortage of PG medical professionals in the state.
Harish Rao urged the government to approach the Supreme Court’s constitutional bench to address this issue. He also called on Union Ministers and BJP MPs to put pressure on the central government to intervene. Telangana, known for its advanced medical education system, may lose opportunities for local students to pursue medical studies due to the new ruling.
The former minister highlighted the efforts of Telangana’s former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao in expanding medical education in the state. He noted that the number of government medical colleges in Telangana grew from just five in 2014 to 34 by 2025. This expansion was part of a larger initiative to prioritize medical education and make it accessible to students across the state.
Rao pointed out that Telangana ranks first in India with 19 MBBS seats per 1,00,000 population and holds the second position in the number of PG seats. Currently, there are 2,924 PG seats in the state, of which 1,462 were previously reserved for local students. However, the Supreme Court’s decision now places all these seats under the all-India quota.
He explained that this ruling effectively redirects 100% of PG medical seats in Telangana to the national pool, leaving no reserved seats for local students. This will make it harder for students from Telangana, as well as those from neighboring states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh, to secure PG medical education opportunities. Rao emphasized the need for immediate action to protect the interests of local students.
