Indian doctors debate increased affirmative action for lower castes

A proposal of the Indian government to raise the number of places reserved for people from lower castes in higher education institutions has provoked a sharp reaction from the medical community.

Officials of the Indian Medical Association last week decried the proposal, which envisages an increase in the proportion of reserved seats from the existing 22.5% to 49.5% in engineering, management, and medical schools funded by the central government.

However, some doctors have said that reserving places for people from lower castes would help counter what they describe as the crass commercialisation of medical education in India that has resulted in a system of “reservations for the rich.”

Reserved places in education have long been part of affirmative action policies …