Chandigarh, Jul 18 (IANS): The Punjab government has decided to extend reservation to sportspersons and children and grandchildren of the Sikh riot victims in the admission to undergraduate courses in private medical colleges.

These reservations existed in government medical colleges, and the government, as per its amended notification of July 11, 2019, had extended it to private colleges, Advocate General Atul Nanda submitted before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, here on Thursday.

Appearing on behalf of the state, Nanda submitted that through the revised notification the government had amended its previous notification, dated June 6.

Nanda later scotched rumours that the government had taken a stand in the court against similar reservation in private colleges for wards of martyred army personnel. The issue never arose in the court and there was no question of the state government taking any such stand, he said.

Earlier, the court asked whether such micro reservation could be applied to the balance 50 per cent management quota in private colleges. The court was informed that although this issue was beyond the scope of the present petition, the state would not adopt an adversarial approach when it came to any welfare measure.

The case was adjourned for Friday.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said his government was keen to provide welfare measures for various sections, including army personnel and sportspersons.