SHILLONG: The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) has called on the North Eastern Institute of Ayurveda and Homeopathy (NEIAH) to reserve seats specifically for the local indigenous youths of Meghalaya, starting from the 2024 academic session.
In a letter addressed to the director of NEIAH, HYC president Roykupar Synrem highlighted the current allocation of seats for the MD (Hon) courses, which began in 2023.
The program has a total of eight seats, divided into four seats for the All India Quota and four seats for the Open Northeast category.
Within the latter category, two seats are reserved for students who graduated with a BHMS degree from NEIAH, and two seats are reserved for students with a North Eastern Permanent Resident Certificate (PRC).
Synrem pointed out that none of these seats are specifically reserved for the local indigenous youths of Meghalaya, unlike the admissions for BAMS and BHMS courses.
“Therefore, we demand that the institute take appropriate action to reserve seats for the local indigenous youths of Meghalaya from the session 2024 onwards,” he stated.
He further stressed on the importance of recognizing the institute’s location within a tribal area of Meghalaya and its mission to serve the people of the region, particularly the state of Meghalaya.
“Opportunities should be given to the local indigenous population to get admitted into the different courses offered by the institute. We hope and urge you, as the head of the institute, to consider our just and reasonable demands for the welfare of our youths and the state as a whole,” Synrem added.