Wednesday, September 13 2006 16:19 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here who oppose reserving seats in educational institutions have won the resident doctors association (RDA) elections today (Sept 13, 2006).

Elections to eight posts including president, vice president, secretary and joint secretary to represent RDA were held yesterday (Sept 12, 2006). More than 75 percent of the over 1,000 students, interns and resident doctors exercised their franchise.

While Kumar Harsh won the prestigious presidential seat, Arnab Pal, M. Kukreja and Kaushal were elected for the post of vice president, secretary and joint secretary respectively. All of them had actively participated in the anti-quota protests here in recent months.

"It's a symbolic win for our commitment towards talent and the panel will continue its fight against reservation in educational institutes," said Anil Sharma, who was elected the representative of senior resident doctors.

In May, hundreds of resident doctors at AIIMS protested against the government's decision to implement 27 percent reservation for other backward classes (OBCs) in government-aided institutions of higher education.

They struck work for nearly 20 days leaving thousands of patients from across the country to suffer. Nearly 8,000 patients are treated every day at AIIMS.

The institute had become the epicentre of the nationwide anti-quota stir. Mass protests were held in August as well to prevent the reservation bill from being tabled in parliament.

Meanwhile, resident and senior doctors favouring reservation said the election was a farce and was drawn on caste lines.

"We had petitioned the director to postpone the elections due to the ongoing discrimination in the campus against reserved category students but did not get a favourable hearing," said a senior faculty member of AIIMS.

"We don't want to be a part of RDA that flouts constitutional obligations like reservation. We had withdrawn from the election opposing the undemocratic behaviour," the doctor added.

The pro-quota medicos explained that their opponents could have withdrawn from the election process by Sep 10, the last date for withdrawal of nominations.