Post-graduate medical aspirants from the Maratha community on Monday asked the State government to ensure that their seats were not in jeopardy and threatened to launch a protest if their admissions were cancelled. A delegation also met the Chief Minister and were given a verbal assurance.

The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court had last week ruled that the Socially and Economically Backward Classes (SEBC) quota cannot be applied to admissions of Master of Dental Surgery (MDS), Medicine Doctor (MD) and Master of Surgery (MS) for this year and that the government will have to issue a seat matrix. While the State has approached the Supreme Court (SC), the open category medical students have filed a caveat too.

Aggrieved aspirants from the Maratha community said their seats were in jeopardy. “I had received admission in Nair Hospital for Obstetrics and Gynaecology, but just when I was about to join, the verdict came out. We are now being told that we cannot join,” said an aspirant.

Dr. Suyash Patil from Solapur said that if the aspirants lose their seats they will have nowhere to go. “We have studied hard throughout the year to secure seats. The reservation was assured to us by the government. None of us have applied for the All India list and Diplomat of National Board (DNB), as we were sure we will get a seat in the State. But with the reservation gone, we will lose our seats,” he said.

The Maratha community leaders, meanwhile, hit out at the government’s handling of the reservation case, calling its moves “inefficient” and “inexperienced”.

“It is the government’s duty now to ensure that these students do not lose their seats and careers. They ensured a reservation, but did not hold well in the court. They can increase seats to accommodate students,” Virendra Pawar, co-ordinator, Maratha Kranti Morcha said.