Central Educational Institutions (reservation in admission) amendment bill

The Government has recently agreed to move an official amendment to the Central Educational Institutions (reservation in admission) amendment bill, as demanded by MPs of CPM and BSP. It has been reported that a specific provision in the bill stating that reservation in admission, other than the North East, would not be more than 50% is likely to be dropped.

The reason being cited is as follows:

• There are variations in reservation in admission in central educational institutions. For example, in National Institutes of Technology there is a state quota, in Ambedkar University in UP there is no reservation for OBCs and in north-eastern states like Tripura there is more than 60% reservation.
• The members of parliament feel that there was no need to put the provision that reservation, other than N-E states, would not be more than 50%.

It’s worth note that there are three parts of reservation in the bill. One, in respect of state seats in central educational institutions like NITs, state policy of reservation would be followed. But in non-state seats of NITs, reservation would be less than 50%. The bill also points out that in some central institutions like Ambedkar University, 49.5% reservation is given to SCs/STs and not to other backward classes. In north-east states, reservation follows a different pattern since there are no OBCs in most of these states. Tripura and other N-E states have more reservation for STs and in some states, state and central quota put together crosses 50%. The Bill protects north-east states and says 50% bar for reservation is limited to rest of the country. The bill also seeks to extend the period of implementation of 27% OBC reservation from three years to six years.

Month: Current Affairs - November, 2011