Indian men wait in the shade of an ambul

Kolkata, INDIA: Indian men wait in the shade of an ambulance as relatives were admitted at a city hosital in Kolkata, 29 May 2006, during an ongoing protest by doctors and medical students against a government plan to reserve seats for disadvantaged students in state-run colleges. India has ordered state-run medical schools to expand overall admissions following major protests against plans to set aside more places for low-caste students. The move is aimed at placating thousands of students upset by government plans to reserve 49.5 percent of seats in state-run medical, engineering and technical colleges. The government says raising the number of seats is aimed at reversing social discrimination against lower castes and boosting their representation in top professions. Opponents say positions should be awarded on merit and existing quotas have benefited only a handful of lower-caste students, with a majority not even getting basic education. AFP PHOTO Deshakalyan CHOWDHURY (Photo credit should read DESHAKALYAN CHOWDHURY/AFP via Getty Images)