Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, January 4:

The Supreme Court today gave permission to the government to reserve some seats for women, Dalits and Janajatis in medical science studies for the time being.

The apex court directed the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Education and Sports, Scholarship Determination Committee under the Ministry, and the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs to follow the Scholarship Regulation 2003 till the SC gives its final verdict on the case.

A three-member full bench of justices Bhairav Prasad Lamsal, Kedar Prasad Giri and Rajendra Kumar Bhandari refused to issue stay order to the authorities as demanded by a group of medical science students.

Now the government is free to provide reservation in medical science studies in domestic and foreign colleges. “Whether authorities can reserve certain seats for disadvantaged groups or not as per 2003 Regulation will be decided later,” the court order said. The bench said it would also decide whether or not the Regulation contradicts with the 1990 Constitution. Challenging the authorities’ decision to provide reservation, a group of students, including Rupak Dhakal, had filed a public interest litigation.

The authorities have provided 10 per cent quotas for Dalits, 10 per cent for Janajaits and 20 per cent for women in medical science studies as per the 2003 Regulation.

Some months ago the apex court had revoked the government’s decision to provide such quotas in education sector without making Special Act. On October 29 a division bench of justices Min Bahadur Rayamajhi and Anup Raj Sharma had ordered the government to promulgate specific laws to provide reservation quotas.