The Odisha government on June 25 decided to implement 10 per cent Economically Weaker Sections quota in three medical colleges in the state from this academic session after the Centre approved an increase of 100 MBBS seats.

Earlier, the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry in a communication to the state government informed it to increase 25 MBBS seats each in Pandit Raghunath Murmu Medical College and Hospital in Baripada and Saheed Laxman Nayak Medical College and Hospital in Koraput. These two medical colleges will now take 125 students under MBBS course instead of their earlier capacity of 100 seats.

Similarly, 50 additional MBBS seats have been approved for Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research in Burla. With this, the total intake of the college has gone up to 200 against existing 150 seats. "After careful consideration of the above recommendation, Government of Odisha have been pleased to reserve 10 per cent seats for EWS for taking admission in the above three medical colleges which shall be over and above the existing reservations as mentioned by the department earlier," a notification issued by the Health and Family Welfare department said. As SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack and MKCG in Berhampur are already having 250 seats each, the intakes cannot be increased further as per Medical Council of India (MCI) norms, sources said.