Chandigarh, July 24 -- The reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBC) in UT pool MBBS admissions at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, will increase from 3% to 7% for the 2026-27 academic session, in line with the Supreme Court's phased implementation plan. The total number of MBBS seats will also go up to 200, from 150 last year. Counselling for the session is yet to begin. The apex court had on July 30, 2025 directed the UT administration to start implementing the OBC quota in a staggered manner, starting with 3% quota in the 2025-26 academic year, 7% in the second year, 11% in third, 16% in fourth, 21% in fifth and gradually 27% in sixth year. The reservation at central level also stands at 27%. Following the orders, the Haryana Backward Classes Act was extended to Chandigarh through a Ministry of home affairs notification in August 2025. The UT has around 60 communities listed under backward classes. Of the total seats, 15% are allotted to the all-India quota, while some seats are reserved for the central pool and foreign Indian category. The remaining seats come under the UT pool, where 15% reservation is provided for Scheduled Castes, 7% for OBC candidates, along with horizontal reservation for persons with disabilities. Director principal of GMCH-32, Dr Ravneet Kaur confirmed the development. "The MBBS admissions will take place with 200 seats this time. The OBC reservation will be as per court's order i.e. 7% under UT pool in 2026-27 session. The admissions will begin as and when the medical counselling committee releases the schedule." The prospectus for MBBS admission at GMCH-32 is usually released by the second half of July while counselling starts in the first week of August. Last year, it was released on July 17. This year, due to delays caused by NEET-UG re-examination, the admission schedule for the central as well as the state quota has not been notified by the medical counselling committee, a body under the Union health and family welfare ministry responsible for finalisation of the counselling procedure and schedule. At GMCH-32, the counselling had been delayed last year too due to the OBC admission issue remaining pending in the apex court. GMCH-32 is a 1,047-bed tertiary care hospital, which offers 200 seats in undergraduate courses, 157 in postgraduate and super specialty courses in cardiology, neonatology, pulmonary critical care and sleep medicine and technical courses for other allied health care professionals. The foundation stone of the hospital was laid in 1991 and the MBBS course started in 1998 with 50 seats....