Assuring all sections of an 'amicable' settlement in the reservation issue, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [Images] appealed, on Saturday night, to the striking medicos on to call off their agitation and have faith in government's 'sincerity'.

The prime minister's first direct public comments on the raging controversy came at the end of a hectic day of developments on the reservation front when the Group of Ministers headed by Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee submitted its report to him.

The report is understood to have recommended an increase in the number of seats in the elite educational institutions like IITs and IIMs without affecting the general category seats and its implementation in a phased manner.

A PMO spokesman said the prime minister has received the report of the GoM on the reservation issue and he would examine it and take a view on the matter keeping in view the interests of all sections of society.

Dr Singh has assured all sections of the student community that he would resolve the matter in an amicable manner taking into account the interests of all sections of students.

The spokesman added that the prime minister has appealed to the student community to desist from resorting to agitations on the matter. He has also appealed to them to enable the government to resolve the matter in an amicable manner and has asked the student community to have faith in the government's sincerity for taking a fair view of the interests of all sections of students.

Dr Singh is to start talks with political parties from Monday, the day his government would be completing two years in office.

Coverage: The reservation issue