Reserve 2 MBBS, BDS Seats for PM Rashtriya Bal Puraskar Awardees, Suggests Madras HC

Justice RMT Teeka Raman and Justice N Senthilkumar mentioned that offering such a reservation would be a step forward for enhancing scientific temper among the students, which has been highlighted in the preamble of the constitution. 

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has suggested that the Ministry of Women and Child Development resume reserving two MBBS/BDS seats for students who have received the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar. Even though the Court agreed that the State had the authority to end the reservation policy, Justice RMT Teeka Raman and Justice N Senthilkumar noted that providing such a reservation would be an important step ahead in fostering scientific temper in students, as planned in the introduction to the Constitution.

Reservation of Seats Would be a Progressive Step: Madras High Court

"In the larger interest of our country, to make achievements in the field of Science and Technology, such reservation providing two seats in central pool for the admission in MBBS/BDS courses, after clearing the NEET Examination, may be a forward step to make our students to go high in life. Hence, though it is a policy decision, taking into consideration the facts and circumstances of the case, “we recommend for resumption of such reservation” of two seats for the awardees of Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar will be a right step for inculcating “scientific temper” among the students as envisaged in the preamble portion of the Constitution of India," The court cited.

The Ministry stated that the award essentially was an act of recognition, and so no extra advantages could be offered to the winners, as reported by Medical Dialogues.

The Madras HC Bench made these statements while reviewing an appeal filed by a medical aspirant who challenged the denying of relief.  The petitioner had approached the Court, requesting that the Ministry of Women and Child Development nominate and recommend his name to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for admission to the MBBS course for the academic year 2021-2022 against the two vacancies allocated from the Central Pool for National Child Award recipients for exceptional achievements in the field of innovation.

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