SFI justifies quota for OBCs

Kozhikode, May 17 (UNI) Jusfifying the Union government's move to provide 27 per cent reservation to other backward classes in higher eudcational institutions in the country, the pro-CPI(M) Students Federation of India today called for enactment of effective laws for its implementation.

Addressing a press conference here, SFI President K K Ragesh said the 93rd amendment to the Constitution enabled Parliament and state legislatures to make appropriate law to implement reservation to OBCs in higher educational insutitions in the country.

Seeking to include economically-backward sections of upper class in the ambit of reservation, he said agitation by a certain sections of students in the country was only aimed at scuttling the quota system.

He said merit should also be a criteria for including students in the reservation quota so that standard of education could be maintained.

Citing the example of Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi maintaining its status as a premier educational institution despite giving reservation to various categories of students, he said quota to deserving candidates would not decline the standard of education as alleged by the agitators.

He said the SFI would take out a Raj Bhawan March at Thiruvanthapuram demanding enactment of effective laws for the purpose.

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