The Meghalaya Assembly on Friday questioned the implementation of job reservation policy while selecting students from the state to pursue studies in technical institutes such as polytechnic, MBBS and engineering.
The issue was raised during question hour by independent MLA from Mawphlang constituency, Syntar Klas Sun who sought to know from the government if the state job reservation policy does not include reservation for higher studies especially in technical lines such as polytechnic, MBBS and engineering studies.
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Though the Meghalaya job reservation policy provides reservation for filling up of vacancies at the state level and district level – 40 per cent for Khasi and Jaiñtia tribes, 40 per cent for Garo tribe and 5 per cent for other Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes, the job policy was also implemented while selecting students under the state quota to pursue medical and engineering studies outside the state and in polytechnics in the state.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma while replying to the query said the job reservation policy was extended based on practice that has been there for the past many years.
“This practice has been going on for many years, and we are following it till today,” Conrad said.
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Questioning the applicability of job reservation policy, Sun also sought to know from the government the number of students in the last five years who were denied to pursue medical and engineering studies despite securing 75 per cent and 65 per cent marks respectively.
The chief minister said that the records were lengthy and would not be in a position to provide the same.
Leader of Opposition, Mukul Sangma who asked the chief minister to correct his reply to the question, warned that the issue is sensitive, may have some fallout in the state.
Sticking to his reply, the chief minister said that he cannot mislead the House by providing any reply which is not in the record.
He reiterated that the job reservation policy was extended only based on the practice that has been followed in the past.
Earlier Congress legislator, Ampareen Lyngdoh also sought to know the genesis of the practice that the state government has started to apply the job reservation policy to education.