New Delhi: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs today approved a proposal from Ministry of Health & Family Welfare for expansion in Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh for implementing 27% Other Backward Class (OBC) reservation.

The central government has enacted the Central Educational Institutions (reservation in admission) Act, 2006 for reservation in seats for OBCs.

"Implementation of the 27% OBC reservation in PGIMER, Chandigarh over a period of three years without altering the number of unreserved seats, would necessitate increase in the total number of seats in the medical postgraduate courses, nursing courses, and paramedical courses and the corresponding increase in the number of faculty, resident doctors and infrastructure," said an official.

With the introduction of 27% reservation for OBCs in all institutes under the central government, the total percentage of reservation will go up from the present level of 22.5% to 49.5%. It will provide reservation to OBCs in admission to this institute under central government.

On implementing the reservation for OBC in the institute, an additional 214 postgraduate seats would be created increasing the total number of seats from 396 to 610. Further, an additional 192 seats in nursing courses would be created increasing the total number of seats from 360 to 552. Also, an additional 87 seats in paramedical courses would be created increasing the total number of seats from 160 to 247.

This will lead to provision of better health care delivery system with the increase in the number of students.