NEW DELHI, 18 May 2006 — The Indian government asserted yesterday that it will not go back on its commitment on caste-based quotas in elite educational institutions.

“I would like to say categorically that the government will not withdraw from its commitment which it has made to Parliament and the nation’ on the reservations, Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh said in response to a calling attention motion in the Lok Sabha (lower house) yesterday.

“We will have to take everybody along. All the aspects (relating to the issue) will have to be taken into consideration,” he added.

“If anybody has any illusions about differences of opinion in government, I clarify that there is no difference of opinion,” the minister maintained.

Responding to a question on why the announcement on the additional quotas had been delayed, he said this was because of the moral code of conduct that was in place for the just-concluded assembly state elections.

Medical students across the country have for the past week been protesting the additional quotas that they say will raise the number of reserved seats in elite educational institutions to 49 percent.

In response, the government has stated it would raise the number of seats in such institutions so that the “general category” students do not hit beyond a point.

As for the additional quotas in the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), this was under the government’s “consideration,” the minister said.

“The central government are aware of all views expressed in this regard and shall take an appropriate decision on this issue without in any way diluting the commitments’ arising out of the 93rd constitutional amendment on the additional quotas that came into force Jan 20, 2006, Arjun stated.

With the government displaying no sign of yielding to their demand for withdrawal of the reservation proposal, the medical students have decided to turn to the people. They have begun a door-to-door campaign to create awareness among the people about their stand against reservation, and gain their support.

Resident doctors of a few hospitals in the capital, including All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), have however returned to their duties after their leaves were cancelled by the hospital authorities.

However, medical services in many parts of India were in chaos for a sixth day yesterday as doctors’ protests against reservation intensified.

The quotas are meant to redress a pattern of discrimination against low-caste and tribal groups for access to elite state-funded schools.

The protests affecting state-run hospitals spread to Calcutta, where student doctors shouted “Down with reservation — consider only merit” and staged walkouts.

Elsewhere, large crowds sought medical help outside strike-hit hospitals in such places as the capital New Delhi, the northern state of Punjab, western Gujarat and Maharashtra states and eastern Orissa.

Senior doctors were providing skeleton medical services but many patients were forced to go to costlier and sometimes worse-equipped private hospitals.

“My 15-year-old son’s two legs were broken in a car accident,” said Pradip Roy outside Calcutta Medical College. “But the emergency department is shut. Now I’m going to a nursing home to save my son.” Calcutta resident Aparna Bose, who was expecting a baby, was moved from a government hospital to a private one.

“While my wife writhed in pain on her bed, the doctors were shouting slogans,” her husband Pradipta said.

Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss urged the medical students to resume work.

“Minister Arjun Singh has said he is ready to discuss (all issues) with them ...the doctors should go back to work as there is so much inconvenience for the patients,” Ramadoss told reporters.