SFI in favour of OBC reservation

Shimla, Apr 29 (UNI) Welcoming the Union Human Resource Ministry's decision of extending reservation to OBCs in the educational institutions, All India President of Students' Federation of India (SFI) R Arun Kumar today said SFI was for reservation to the OBCs, saying it was essential for their upliftment.

Addressing mediapersons here, he said the students should demand more opportunities in continuing with their education and later getting jobs instead of taking positions on reservation.

Putting forth an example, he said the Centre instead of opening IIMs in other countries it would do well to start more management courses in the country, fulfilling the demand for more IIM seats, he said, adding similar was the case with IITs.

Mr Kumar said two lakh students sit in the entrance examinations for 4,000 IIT seats, which the centre could well increase keeping in view the demand of the students.

Besides, he said students who were being provided reservations in educational institutions would still have to sit in the qualifying exams before being admitted in the courses.

He said the government was only spending a sum of Rs 76,000 crore on education sector, which, he claimed, was insufficient to increase its reach.

Demanding six per cent of the total budget on education, the SFI President said the government would have to fulfill its commitment to the National Common Minimum Programme by increasing the expenditure to Rs 1.73 lakh crore.

UNI AS DP DKS GC1831