NEW DELHI: The deadlock between the Union Government and the protesting medical students continued on Thursday as the students refused to call off their hunger strike.

A seven-member student delegation met Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Health Minister A. Ramadoss and senior Congress leader Oscar Fernandes on Thursday morning and returned for a second round of discussion with Mr. Fernandes at the AICC office in the evening.

While Mr. Fernandes described his discussion with the students as "inconclusive," the students said the Government had at least heard them out.

"Whatever we have discussed with the students will be communicated to Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee. From our side the talks have still been inconclusive. But it is a step forward and efforts are on for more talks. We have put forward our points and it is for the students to decide," said Mr. Fernandes.

`No clear indication'

In both the meetings, the Government tried to assure the students that the general category seats in the institutions would remain untouched while introducing the OBC quota, but the students were not convinced.

"The offer made to us was that while the number of general category seats will remain the same in the existing institutions, all new colleges will follow the new reservation proposal. We don't agree with it as it is not uniform and there is no clear indication by the Government on how it will be applied," said Harsh Kumar, a student representative.

The students had put before the Government three demands, including the roll back of the 27 per cent reservation quota, setting up of a judicial commission and a concrete statement by the Prime Minister on the issue.

Little effect

Attempts to warn the striking doctors with termination letters too seemed to have had little effect, with most resident and senior doctors continuing to boycott work. Following their meeting with the Minister, the students said they were prepared to face the consequences.

Dismissing the claims of hospital administrations that the doctors had returned to work, the medical students said that apart from looking after the emergency services, none of the doctors had returned to work.

The hunger strike, however, saw the student strength dwindle to 34, with as many as 94 striking students being rushed to hospital.

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