Palaniswami Urges Centre to Amend Law to Protect Tamil Nadu's Medical Seat Quota

Edappadi K. Palaniswami, general secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), on Wednesday urged the Union government to ensure a legal amendment that would prevent the reduction of state quota seats in private medical and engineering institutions when they are declared deemed universities.

In a statement, Palaniswami said the Union government and the University Grants Commission (UGC) must mandate such a stipulation. He referred to reports that some private medical colleges, after becoming deemed universities, had reduced the number of seats available to students from Tamil Nadu under the state quota.

Palaniswami also called on the state government, led by the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), to take immediate steps to improve infrastructure and quality in government medical colleges and to secure additional seats. This, he said, would help offset the loss of seats for the state.

Separately, at the AIADMK headquarters, Palaniswami reviewed the party's performance in Tiruchi district. The meeting was attended by Lalgudi legislator Leema Rose Martin, one of the 25 rebel MLAs who supported the TVK government during a trust motion in May.