7 IITs to implement OBC quota in phases
Press Trust of India
Wednesday, April 16, 2008, (New Delhi)
The IITs on Wednesday decided to implement the 27 per cent quota for OBCs minus the creamy layer in three years time in phases by reserving nine per cent seats each year in view of the inadequate infrastructure.
The seven IITs, IT BHU and ISM, Dhanbad, would increase their seats by 13 per cent in the coming academic session to implement the quota, the institutes declared after a meeting of their directors here.
The elite institutions will exclude cream layer from the quota ambit as specified by the apex court, IIT Delhi director Surendra Prasad said.
"Pertaining to the creamy layer, we will go by the instructions of the government. The family income will be the criteria," he said.
Three new IITs will start operating from the coming session in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan.
"However, those IITs will implement the quota in one go. They will have 120 seats each and will implement the reservation for the OBCs, SCs and STs," Prasad said.
The IIT Joint Entrance Board will bring out two merit lists -- one for the general category and one for the OBCs, he said.
At present, there are about 4,000 seats in all the seven IITs. These seats would be increased to about 4,500 in 2008-09 apart from the 360 seats to be offered by the three new IITs.
The quota system will be applicable for undergraduate as well as postgraduate students, Prasad said.
The institutions are unable to implement the 27 per cent quota in one go because of lack of adequate faculty and infrastructure facilities.