The Assam Cabinet has approved a new policy to reserve seats at Pragjyotish Medical College for students belonging to the Moran, Motok, Tai Ahom, and Koch Rajbongshi communities. This decision, made at a cabinet meeting on Saturday, July 25, 2026, aims to enhance representation for these indigenous communities in medical education within the state.

The move signifies a continued effort by the state government to address long-standing demands for greater inclusion and opportunities for these communities, which have historically sought Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. The new reservation policy specifically targets Pragjyotish Medical College, a recently established government institution in Guwahati.

What was announced

The Assam Cabinet, during its meeting on July 25, 2026, approved the reservation of seats at Pragjyotish Medical College for students from the Moran, Motok, Tai Ahom, and Koch Rajbongshi communities. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the decisions after the cabinet meeting, highlighting that the reservation in medical colleges has been enhanced following the completion of Pragjyotish Medical College.

The cabinet also approved other significant changes to medical college admissions, including an increase in reserved seats for the Chutia community and an experimental provision to reserve two MBBS seats for orphaned students who have lost both parents. Additionally, eligibility norms were relaxed for Assamese students who completed their schooling outside the state, provided their parents can establish a three-generation legacy of residence in Assam.

Why it matters

This reservation policy is crucial for the Moran, Motok, Tai Ahom, and Koch Rajbongshi communities, who have long advocated for better access to higher education and government opportunities. The decision aims to improve their representation in the medical field, a sector where these communities have historically faced underrepresentation. The establishment of Pragjyotish Medical College, the fourteenth government medical college in Assam and the second in Guwahati, provides an expanded pool of seats to facilitate such reservations without significantly impacting other categories.

The move is part of a broader strategy to address socio-economic disparities and fulfill political assurances made to these indigenous groups. Granting specific reservations in medical education is seen as a step towards parity and recognition of their distinct cultural and historical identity within Assam.

Background

The demand for greater representation and Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for several indigenous communities in Assam, including the Moran, Motok, Tai Ahom, Chutia, Koch Rajbongshi, and Tea Tribes, has been a long-standing issue. These communities, which collectively constitute a significant portion of Assam’s population, have been agitating for years, asserting their indigenous status and demanding constitutional recognition as STs to ensure more access to reservations in educational institutions and government employment.

Historically, the Koch Rajbongshi movement for ST status began in the late 1960s, while demands from the Moran and Motok communities date back to 1947. The Tai Ahom mobilisation gained momentum in the 1990s. While a Group of Ministers (GoM) report in December 2025 found “full justification” for including these communities in the ST list, the process of granting ST status at the national level involves constitutional amendments and parliamentary legislation, which has faced delays and complexities.

In the interim, the Assam government has taken steps to provide reservations for these communities under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) and More Other Backward Classes (MOBC) categories. For instance, in September 2022, the cabinet decided to increase reserved seats for six communities, including the Moran, Motok, Tai Ahom, and Koch Rajbongshi, in medical education from the academic year 2022-23. This was further augmented in June 2023, with increases in MBBS seats for these communities, alongside reservations for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) and Non-Resident Indian (NRI) students. The state has also implemented other reservation policies, such as reserving 5% of seats in engineering and medical colleges for government school students since December 2023.

Pragjyotishpur Medical College & Hospital (PMCH) in Guwahati became functional from February 1, 2025, with an initial capacity of one hundred undergraduate students for the 2025-26 academic session. It is the second government medical college in Guwahati and the fourteenth in the state, established to strengthen healthcare infrastructure and medical education.

Key details

The new policy specifically grants reservation of seats at Pragjyotish Medical College for students from the Moran, Motok, Tai Ahom, and Koch Rajbongshi communities.

According to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the number of reserved seats for the Tai Ahom community has been increased from ten to eleven, while the Koch-Rajbongshi community will also receive one additional reserved seat. Similarly, the reservation for the Moran and Motok communities has been increased by one seat each. Overall, the combined reservation for Tai Ahom, Chutia, and Koch-Rajbongshi communities has increased from thirteen to fourteen seats each, while the Moran and Motok communities now have nine reserved seats each, up from eight.

Other key decisions from the July 25, 2026 cabinet meeting include:

  • An experimental provision to reserve two MBBS seats for orphaned students who have lost both parents.
  • Relaxation of eligibility criteria for admissions under the state quota in Assam’s medical colleges, allowing children of Assamese families who studied outside the state to be eligible if both parents establish a three-generation legacy of residence in Assam. This amends earlier rules that required students to have studied from Class seven to Class twelve within the state.

Reactions

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that the decision to relax eligibility criteria for Assamese students studying outside the state was taken to ensure that children of Assamese families serving outside the state are not deprived of opportunities in their home state due to their parents’ employment.

The move to provide reservations for indigenous communities has generally been met with appreciation from the communities themselves, who view it as a step towards securing their due rights. Aditya Khaklari, chief convener of the Coordinating Committee of Tribal Organisations of Assam (CCTOA), however, has previously expressed concerns that granting ST status to these communities could affect the existing ST communities at a national level, although this particular decision pertains to state-level reservations.

What’s next

The new reservation policy for Pragjyotish Medical College and the revised admission criteria for other medical colleges are expected to be implemented in the upcoming admission cycles. The Chief Minister’s announcements indicate a clear direction from the government to operationalise these changes. Further official notifications detailing the specific number of reserved seats at Pragjyotish Medical College and the application process for the newly eligible categories are anticipated.

Quick FAQs

Which communities will benefit from the new reservation policy at Pragjyotish Medical College?

Students belonging to the Moran, Motok, Tai Ahom, and Koch Rajbongshi communities will benefit from the new seat reservation policy at Pragjyotish Medical College.

What other changes were announced for medical college admissions?

The Assam Cabinet also approved an experimental reservation of two MBBS seats for orphaned students and relaxed eligibility norms for Assamese students who studied outside the state, provided their parents have a three-generation legacy of residence in Assam.

When was Pragjyotish Medical College established?

Pragjyotishpur Medical College and Hospital became functional from February 1, 2025, with the commencement of outpatient department services. It is the fourteenth government medical college of Assam.