Striking doctors and medical students have been told by India’s Supreme court to return to work now or face prosecution. Doctors and medical students are on strike in protest at a government measure to open more student places for people of lower castes – the Affirmative Action Plan. The strike has caused serious disruption to medical services in the country.
The Supreme Court also ordered the government to explain the rationale behind the new plan and its implementation within eight weeks.
Anbumani Ramadoss, Health Minister, said that if the strikers did not go back to work he would recruit new doctors.
The Affirmative Action Plan has the goal of reserving 49.5% of public university student places for lower caste people by the end of 2007. The current quota stands at 22.5%.
The plan is extremely unpopular with higher caste Indians, but extremely popular with the rest of the population.
Those against the plan say it is unfair. Higher caste students will need to gain better marks than lower caste ones in order to gain entry into the same course at the same university. Protestors also claim the plan will lower standards.
Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today