Centre will keep its word on 27% reservation: FM

The Govt was committed to raising the general category seats.

Asking the protesting medicos to call off their agitation, Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Monday said the Centre would keep its word not to disturb the present number of seats for general category in Central educational institutions, when the 27 per cent reservation for OBCs was implemented.

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Chidambaram, a member of the ministerial committee, which had held talks with the striking medicos, told reporters in Karakudi that there was no question of going back on the decision to give 27 per cent reservation to OBCs.

The government was committed to increasing the number of seats under the general category and there was no need for any apprehension among the students over this, he said.

"There is no need for any agitation as the interests of those who get seats under the open competition is protected," he said, denying the charge of some anti-quota groups that the reservation was being implemented with "vote bank politics in mind."

If the government wanted to ameliorate the lot of the backward community, where was the question of vote bank politics, he asked.