Hyderabad: The BRS party has raised concerns about the government’s decision to change the domicile rule for medical students in Telangana. They believe that this change will negatively impact local students.
At a press conference, senior leader T Harish Rao, along with MLA K Prabhakar Reddy and others, addressed the issue. Rao explained that a recent directive from the Medical Education department could result in Telangana students being considered non-locals in their own State. Before Telangana was formed, 40 percent of jobs went to non-locals, but now, under GO 124, 95 percent of jobs are reserved for Telangana residents.
The Bifurcation Act required a 15 percent open quota for education admissions for ten years, using the old method from the unified State. In 1979, GO 644 established local status for educational admissions in Andhra, Telangana, and Rayalaseema, preventing non-local students from taking these opportunities.
Rao highlighted that under Chief Minister KCR’s government, the number of MBBS seats increased from 2,850 to 9,000. The 15 percent open competition quota applied only to colleges that existed before State formation. In new colleges, 100 percent of seats were reserved for Telangana students, adding 520 more seats for local students.
The government also issued a directive to ensure that seats in the B category in private medical colleges were given to local students, resulting in 1,071 seats in 24 colleges for Telangana students.
However, the new directive states that students will be considered locals if they have studied for four years in a place before Intermediate, replacing the old requirement of seven years. Rao questioned what would happen to Telangana students who study Intermediate for two years in another State, asking if they would be considered non-locals.
Rao suggested that Telangana should create its own rules for securing MBBS seats, similar to Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala. He recommended forming a committee with the Chief Secretary and other senior officials to develop a comprehensive policy for educational institutions. Rao urged the government to act swiftly on this matter.
