Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 06 September 2025
Mr. TSG Bhasker, Chairman of the Campaign Committee of the Andaman & Nicobar Territorial Congress Committee (ANTCC), has urged the Chief Secretary of the Andaman & Nicobar Administration to take urgent steps for the reallocation of unfilled All India Quota (AIQ) seats in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands Institute of Medical Sciences (ANIIMS) to deserving local students.
In a letter dated September 2, 2025, Mr. Bhasker expressed concern over the recurring wastage of valuable MBBS seats reserved under the AIQ, which often remain vacant after the counselling process. He pointed out that despite a strong demand for medical education among Island youth, these seats are not transferred to local candidates, leading to a permanent loss of academic opportunities.
Calling the matter both “an administrative lapse” and “a gross injustice,” Mr. Bhasker said, “At a time when the Islands are in dire need of more healthcare professionals and educational opportunities, allowing seats to go vacant is simply unacceptable.”
He further appealed to the Administration to initiate discussions with the Centre and relevant medical education authorities, citing examples from other states that have successfully ensured reallocation of such seats to local students.
According to Mr. Bhasker, such a policy decision would not only make better use of ANIIMS’s existing infrastructure but also open critical career pathways for aspiring doctors from the Islands, thereby strengthening the region’s healthcare system.
