The Junior Doctors’ Association of Arunachal Pradesh has raised a very pertinent issue of how the indigenous tribal people of the state are being systematically deprived at the Tomo Riba Institute of Health & Medical Sciences (TRIHMS), the lone medical college of the state. As per the directives of the union health & family welfare ministry, the seats in the government-run colleges are divided into 85 percent quota for the state and remaining 15 percent is all-India quota. What is worrying is that, out of the 85 percent state quota, there is a reservation of 20 percent for the non-APSTs.
The TRIHMS has an intake capacity of only 50 seats annually. Forty-three seats are for the state and the remaining seven are for all-India quotas. Out of 43, only 31 are reserved for APSTs. Eight are for non-APSTs, two for non-resident Indians, and one each for the TRIHMS’ faculty members and persons with benchmark disability (PWBD). The maximum seats from the state quota should be reserved for the indigenous tribal students. What is the use of keeping reservations for NRI? This quota should be immediately scrapped. Also, keeping eight seats out of 43 in the state quota for non-APSTs should also be given a relook. The Junior Doctors’ Association of Arunachal Pradesh has written a letter to Chief Minister Pema Khandu, apprising him of the concern. Hope the state government will take cognisance of the matter and initiate a process to streamline the seat reservation for APSTs in the TRIHMS.