Shillong, October 5: The Hynñiewtrep Integrated Territorial Organisation (HITO) has written to Meghalaya Chief Secretary Shakil Ahamed seeking urgent clarification on the “confusion” surrounding the implementation of the MBBS state quota allotment in the state.
It said the “ambiguity” stems from the absence of a clear, codified policy governing reservation in higher and professional education since Meghalaya’s inception.
The issue has been ongoing for decades, with the government relying on “conventional practice” without a formal policy or notification, HITO added.
This has led to uncertainty among students and institutions about the legal basis of the current quota system, it further added.
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“Given the urgency of the ongoing admission process and the irreversible nature of seat allotments, HITO requests your immediate clarification on…the specific legal or policy framework under which the present MBBS State Quota reservation has been implemented, whether any official notification, cabinet approval, or regulation exists to authorize reservation in higher and professional studies and whether the Government intends to issue a formal and codified Reservation Policy to prevent recurring confusion in future admission cycles,” HITO president Donbok Dkhar said in the letter to the CS.
“A clear and timely clarification from your office will not only uphold transparency but also protect the interests of hundreds of students whose educational prospects now hang in the balance. We trust your good office will treat this matter with the urgency and seriousness it demands and ensure that this long-standing ambiguity is finally addressed through proper legal and administrative action,” he added.
Dkhar had also referred to the Meghalaya High Court’s order on September 15, 2023, citing the government’s letter of September 13, 2023 had merely stated that “the principle and spirit of the Reservation Policy is extended/applied for admission in State Government Educational Institutions including higher and professional studies through conventional practice.”
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“With due respect, this reply has only deepened the confusion rather than resolving it. The continued reliance on “conventional practice” — without any formal policy, rule, or government notification — leaves both students and institutions uncertain about the legal basis of the current quota system,” he said while adding that this ambiguity, persisting since statehood, is now directly affecting the academic futures of deserving students.
(Newmai News Network)