Sub-committees to submit report on July 31: Moily

Udupi, Karnataka, Jun 3 (UNI) Chairman of the recently-constituted 13-member Oversight Committee on reservation, inclusion and excellence in higher education M Veerappa Moily today said the five Sub-Committees constituted by him for IITs, IIMs, Central Universities and Health Sciences and Agricultural Institutes, will submit their report by July 31.

Addressing newspersons here, he said the Committee, after receiving reports from the Sub-Committees, would draw a comprehensive roadmap for achieving knowledge society based on an inclusive policy. The Committee would submit its recommendations to the Government by August 31 this year.

The former Chief Minister was here to visit the Malpe fisheries harbour, where six fishermen had drowned earlier this week after their boats capsized following heavy rains.

Strongly supporting the 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in higher educational institutions, to be introduced from 2007-08, Mr Moily said the Government also favoured increasing the number of seats in institutions so that meritorious and general quota students were not affected by reservation.

He said the Committee had met twice and he would hold discussions with the members of the Sub-Committees on June eight. The objective of the Committee was not to fill potholes, but to take it as an opportunity to build knowledge society. The Committee also intended to open dialogue with the best brains in the country and evolve innovative methods.

''When a country like China can leap forward in economic activities by building knowledge society within a couple of years, why can't India,'' he asked.

Commending the Southern States in this regard, Mr Moily said these States had not felt the agitation heat as even unaided higher educational institutions had adopted reservation policy. Moreover, the Southern States had made the highest contribution to the country's GDP growth despite reservation system, showing that reservation had not affected the talent pool.

He said it was a completely wrong notion that backward classes lacked talent and eligibility. The reservation system had not affected productivity in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, which were attracting investments from major global IT players.

UNI MA GD YA KN1630