After quota verdict, now what?
Monideepa Banerjee, Rahul Srivastava, Swati Mahesh
Thursday, April 10, 2008, (Kolkata, New Delhi)
The decks are now clear for the 27 per cent OBC quota in higher educational institutions.
But how will it happen, what will it take, who will it affect and will it be at the cost of the general category students?
These are just some of the questions that remain to be answered.
In 2006, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences became the epicentre of protests against reservations. Now, OBC quota is inevitable.
But today the anti-reservation voices were subdued. Perhaps because the creamy layer has been kept out.
"We will study the order and see if we can approach the courts and battle it out," said Dr Anil Sharma, Vice President, Resident Doctors Association, AIIMS.
Meanwhile, IIMs have said that they are ready with their OBC lists but admissions will be delayed by a week. Their seats will have to go up by over 300.
"IIM-C will increase its intake by 18 seats to accommodate OBCs as per SC judgement from this session itself," said Dr Shekhar Chaudhary, Director, IIM Kolkata
The IITs could take much longer. They will implement the OBC quota in phases. But the challenge now is to keep general seats intact.
The Moily committee suggested a 54 per cent increase in seats in all higher educational institutions to protect the general seats.
"Will this be implemented from this academic year? That will be our effort," said Arjun Singh, HRD Minister.
Some of the Central Universities have already begun expansion. This year one new IIM and two new IITs will increase the total seats.
After the OBC verdict, almost half the seats in Central Universities will be reserved.
It seems pretty clear that number of reserved seats will go up but government has to now ensure that it builds infrastructure and increase capacity.