KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology has clarified that the government’s decision to provide a free MBBS scholarship to Ekta Shah, an activist injured during the Gen-Z movement, is fully compliant with existing laws and regulations.
The clarification follows public criticism and concerns that providing a seat to Shah bypassed the established merit-based selection process of the Medical Education Commission (MEC).
Critics had argued that granting a quota after the formal student selection process for this academic year had concluded was a violation of the National Medical Education Act.
In a press release issued on Friday, the Ministry addressed these concerns, stating that Shah’s placement is not part of the standard free scholarship quota defined under the National Medical Education Act.
Instead, the government has created an “additional special scholarship quota” specifically for this case, with the necessary budget managed separately by the Council of Ministers. The Ministry emphasized that this decision does not shrink or obstruct the opportunities available to any other candidates who qualified through the regular merit list.
According to the Ministry, the decision was made under Section 11 of the ‘Procedure for Providing Relief and Assistance to Persons Injured or Disabled during the Gen-Z Movement.’ This move followed a formal request from the Medical Education Commission and a subsequent proposal from the Ministry.
Shah had successfully passed the MBBS entrance exam for the 2025/26 academic year with a score of 57.5 percent. The Cabinet meeting held on March 15 had officially moved to sponsor her medical education under this special provision.
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