Lucknow- SC/ST medical students fighting to protect the existing seat structure in four government medical colleges in Uttar Pradesh have secured a significant interim victory. The Uttar Pradesh government has announced to retain the existing category-wise seat distribution for the 2026-27 academic session at the Government Medical Colleges in Ambedkar Nagar, Kannauj, Jalaun and Saharanpur, keeping the earlier arrangement in place amid the ongoing legal dispute.

The decision has come after sustained protests by students who had raised concerns that applying the general Uttar Pradesh reservation norms to these institutions could substantially reduce the number of seats available to SC/ST students. The students had been demanding that the existing arrangement be retained until the final outcome of the ongoing judicial proceedings.

According to the Uttar Pradesh government’s order for the 2026-27 academic session, the four medical colleges established under the Special Component Plan have been treated separately from the general government medical colleges for the purpose of the present seat distribution. The government has retained the earlier category-wise allocation for the state quota because the matter is pending before the court.

Under the arrangement mentioned in the government order, each of the four colleges has 85 seats under the state quota. Of these, 62 seats are allocated to Scheduled Caste students, five to Scheduled Tribe students, 11 to Other Backward Classes and seven to the unreserved category. Thus, 67 of the 85 state-quota seats remain earmarked for SC/ST students under the existing structure.

The four colleges have a total intake of 100 MBBS seats each. Of these, 15 seats are part of the All India Quota, leaving 85 seats under the state quota. The students have pointed to the distinction between the existing special arrangement and the ordinary reservation framework as the central issue in their campaign.

If the general Uttar Pradesh reservation structure were to be applied to these 85 state-quota seats, the SC/ST share would be substantially lower than the existing allocation. Students therefore feared that the change could result in a significant reduction in opportunities for SC/ST aspirants across the four institutions.

The issue became particularly urgent ahead of the 2026 NEET-UG counselling process. Students had pointed out that seat matrices are generally released before counselling begins and feared that if a new matrix based on the general reservation norms was introduced at the last moment, the existing SC/ST seat structure could disappear without adequate opportunity for intervention.

Why the four medical colleges are at the centre of the dispute

The students argue that Ambedkar Nagar, Kannauj, Jalaun and Saharanpur medical colleges were established under the Special Component Plan (SCSP/SCP) with a specific objective of promoting educational opportunities for historically marginalised communities.

Their argument is that these institutions should not be treated in exactly the same manner as ordinary government medical colleges because the special plan was linked to a specific social and educational purpose. The students have also raised concerns over the use and protection of funds allocated under the plan.

Speaking to The Mooknayak, Arun Sonkar, a final-year MBBS student at Government Medical College, Kannauj, said the issue was not merely about the number of seats but about preserving the purpose for which the institutions were established.

“These colleges were made under a special plan for a special purpose. If you suddenly make their admission process like ordinary medical colleges, you are effectively ending that purpose,” Sonkar had said.

According to Sonkar, the funding guidelines associated with the Special Component Plan are also an important part of the students’ argument. He said funds allocated under the plan are intended for the specified purpose and questioned the fairness of changing the institutional arrangement after resources had already been provided under the special plan.

This is important because the government’s latest decision does not amount to a permanent statutory settlement of the dispute. Rather, the existing arrangement has been retained for the current academic session while the legal proceedings continue.

Students call it a major victory, but want statutory protection

Arun Sonkar and other students have welcomed the government decision as a major victory for the movement. Sonkar congratulated the students and supporters and described the outcome as a victory not merely for the protest but for the rights, dignity and representation of SC/ST students.

However, the students say they do not want the existing arrangement to depend indefinitely on government orders or the outcome of individual administrative decisions. Their demand has therefore shifted towards permanent legal protection.

Sonkar has pointed to Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU) as an example, arguing that its reservation structure has statutory protection. The students want the Uttar Pradesh government to enact a law providing similar protection for the four medical colleges so that their special seat structure cannot be altered through a future administrative decision.

For the students, the latest government order provides immediate relief, but it does not remove the underlying uncertainty. A statutory framework, they argue, would provide greater stability and ensure that the special purpose attached to these institutions remains protected in the future.

The students had taken their campaign to the streets in Lucknow, with students from the four medical colleges participating in a peaceful protest at Eco Garden. They submitted memoranda to government authorities and sought intervention to prevent any reduction in SC/ST seats.

Their campaign brought together students, doctors, social activists and supporters who argued that the issue should be viewed through the broader questions of educational justice, social representation and accountability in the implementation of the Special Component Plan.

The students had specifically demanded that the existing seat arrangement remain unchanged until the Supreme Court or the competent court finally settles the legal dispute. They also warned that changing the seat matrix during counselling could create complications for students who secure admission under a new arrangement and later become parties affected by the outcome of the litigation.

The government’s decision to retain the existing distribution for 2026-27 has now addressed the students’ immediate concern.