Andhra Pradesh students should continue to get special quota in Telangana medical colleges: Public representatives and academicians

Hundreds of Andhra Pradesh students will not get 15% quota in Telangana medical colleges and other higher educational institutions from next year 2025-26, as the ten years facility that was provided in AP Reorganisation Act-2014 will come to an end this year-2024.

Hundreds of Andhra Pradesh students will not get 15% quota in Telangana medical colleges and other higher educational institutions from next year 2025-26, as the ten years facility that was provided in AP Reorganisation Act-2014 will come to an end this year-2024.

The Act which was enacted during the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh has become a blessing in disguise as Andhra Pradesh students were allowed to join all medical colleges of Telangana.

 Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences which takes up the admission process for all 27 government and 27 private medical colleges has allowed Andhra Pradesh students to avail 15% quota as per the rules and regulations of the Act. Telangana students were also allowed to join Andhra Pradesh colleges under this Act.

However, their joining in Andhra Pradesh colleges was less compared to Andhra Pradesh students’ preference to Telangana colleges. Andhra Pradesh students were able to get seats easily in Telangana colleges as the cut off mark for admissions is relatively less compared to Andhra Pradesh educational institutions. Availability of more seats in medical colleges and less competition is helping Andhra Pradesh students to avail the quota facility at optimum level. The students preparing for National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET)-2025 are worried about their future in the backdrop of the ending of the facility this year.

When contacted, Revenue Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao said that the special quota for Andhra Pradesh students should continue for a few more years since Andhra Pradesh was yet to have more number of medical colleges and other higher educational institutions. “Residual AP is the biggest victim of bifurcation. So, compensation in all aspects should continue. The extension of quota for AP students is the need of the hour,” he added.

Vizianagaram sitting MP Bellana Chandrasekhar said that the issue needed to be taken at governments’ level for the protection of the interests of students preparing for NEET, JEE Mains and other examinations.

Former MP and Andhra Pradesh ST Commission chairperson DVG Sankara Rao said that the students’ quota needed to be given since other issues such as Special Category Status for AP was completely sidelined in the last ten years.