As India aims to raise the number of university places for the underprivileged to 49% from its current 22%, strikes and protests by doctors and medical students have affected emergency services in the country, especially New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.

Currently 22% of university places are reserved for lower caste Indians. Arjun Singh, India's Human Resource Development Minister, wants to raise this to 49%.

Serious street clashes took place between protesters and the police in Mumbai, triggering a hunger strike by medical students and several junior doctors. Junior doctors and medical students say more protests have been set up for Monday in Mumbai and New Delhi.

Protests broke out in Bangalore, India's silicon valley. Five students were detained when the crowd attempted to break a security cordon. The detained were later released. The protesters chanted 'No reservation. No discrimination in Education'. The protesters say that a student should enter university according to merit, not because he/she is underprivileged.

Affected hospitals are currently being serviced by senior doctors. Doctor's appointments were cancelled in large numbers throughout many parts of the country.

In India's Hindu society - social structure is divided into a hierarchy of castes. The caste system has been around for a long time and still exists today, especially in small towns and villages. Authorities have tried over the years to lessen the social divide, but it still there.

Making university places available for lower caste applicants is a controversial subject in India. In several parts of the country where the underprivileged live, there is nowhere for people to study, especially in rural areas.

We have had some e-mails from people in India regarding this. Most of them are against the present government plan to raise 'reservations'. This one expresses a common opinion:

'Why should people in New Delhi have to give up their place for people from other areas? Wouldn't it be better to improve educational services in other areas instead of this unfair discrimination?'