"Things have changed a little since then, but there is an underlying tension. Nobody has the time to think about caste every day but when a fight breaks then it just comes up."

Many of the students seemed to have moved on. Some like Mohit Mohanty believe that even if the 27 per cent increase was to come about, it would not make much difference.

"For most of us," he says, "the odds were already against us, so it would be marginally worse. The 27 per cent increase would affect the MBBS course most because there are not enough hostels and required infrastructure."

But the doctors all agree that had they not taken a stand last year, their grievances would never have received a hearing in court. They feel the stay order granted by the Supreme Court is a victory in that sense.

"We are hopeful," says Anil Sharma. "Even if the government appeals, the court may not allow the creamy layer to go through. And if the creamy layer is not included then for politicians the whole purpose of reservation will be destroyed -- after all, it is about vote bank politics."

The mood in the campus was generally despondent till news of the stay order arrived. "They had thought it was all over but now they feel as if they have got another life. This is not the final judgment. In practicality, it is 50% for pro-reservation and 50% for anti-reservation," says Kaushal Mishra.

"Still, it is a ray of hope."

Image: Doctors at AIIMS celebrate after the Supreme Court issued a stay order on the reservation bill. The mood in the campus was generally despondent till news of the stay order arrived.
Photograph: Manan Vatsyayana/AFP/Getty Images
Also see: The Reservation Issue: Complete Coverage

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