Hyderabad, January 30: Former Minister Harish Rao has strongly criticised the recent Supreme Court ruling that eliminates the 50% local reservation for Telangana students in PG medical seats. He warned that this decision would severely impact local students and could lead to a shortage of doctors in the state.
In a press note released on Thursday, Rao highlighted Telangana’s progress in medical education since its formation. He credited former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) for prioritising medical infrastructure by establishing medical colleges in every district and expanding seat capacity. However, he argued that the Supreme Court’s verdict could undo these efforts by diverting Telangana’s reserved PG medical seats to the all-India quota.
Harish Rao noted that the ruling would not only affect Telangana but also other southern states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala, where local students have historically benefited from similar reservations. Additionally, he raised concerns about the potential dilution of SC, ST, and BC reservations in PG medical courses, which could deepen disparities in medical education access.
He urged the Telangana government to approach the Supreme Court’s constitutional bench to challenge the verdict and seek a stay on the decision. He also called on Telangana’s MPs and Union Ministers to pressure the central government to reinstate local quotas.
According to Harish Rao, the ruling could lead to a decline in medical professionals serving rural areas, which would negatively impact healthcare services, particularly in remote regions. He suggested that the Telangana government pass a resolution in the state assembly and coordinate with other southern states to explore a constitutional amendment if necessary.
