Cabinet clears OBC quota Bill for monsoon session

New Delhi, Aug 21: The Union Cabinet tonight decided to introduce the OBC quota Bill in the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament which ends on August 25.

Without specifying the percentage of reservation, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi told reporters that the proposed reservation would cover all higher educational institutions, run or aided by the Central government and those deemed to be universities under it.

The decision was taken at an over two-hour-long Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Mr Dasmunsi refused to give any details of the Bill, stating it was the privilege of Parliament to know its contents first.

The Minister, however, said the reservation would also be meant for SC and ST students seeking admission in deemed to be universities. SC/ST students already enjoyed about 22 per cent reservation in Central government run and aided higher educational institutions.

Premier institutions such as the IIMs and the IITs would also be covered under the proposed OBC quota.

It has now become clear that the OBC quota would initially cover only government run and aided institutions, while private educational institutions would be brought under the quota system later.

Official sources said the Bill, prepared by the Human Resource Development Ministry in consultation with the Law Ministry and based on the recommendations of the Oversight Committee on Quota headed by former Karnataka Chief Minister M Veerappa Moily, was likely to be introduced by the end of this week. The Moily committee had been set up by the Prime Minister to suggest a roadmap for implementing 27 per cent reservation for OBCs without harming the interests of the general category students.

The proposal had kicked off nationwide protests by anti- quota students, organisations, including those in prestigious institutions such as the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

It had also triggered a sort of political storm within the UPA coalition, with the DMK-led Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA) in Tamil Nadu virtually issuing a threat to the government for ensuring the introduction of the Bill in the current session.

The Cabinet meeting, which had a single-point agenda, was attended by ministers representing almost all the parties. Last week, there was a near showdown between PMK chief S Ramadoss and RJD supremo and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, with the two leaders questioning the other's commitment to OBC quota. While DMK chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi had personally written a letter to Dr Singh earlier this month, virtually warning the Centre against delaying the proposal, a DPA MPs' delegation from the state, which included Congress members, had called on the Prime Minister, asking him to immediately meet the demand.

Dr Ramadoss had also written a letter to Dr Singh last week to have the quota Bill passed by the monsoon session.

Pressure from Tamil Nadu parties had started mounting following reports that the government was considering a phased implementation of the quota proposal, giving sufficient time to premier institutions such as the IIMs and the IITs to create additional infrastructure necessary for accommodating larger number of students without compromising on quality.

Mr Prasad was also reported to be in favour of a phased implementation, prompting Dr Ramadoss to hit out at the move.

The Tamil Nadu parties pointed out that the UPA and the Left parties had at a recent meeting committed themselves to the introduction of the Bill in the current session.

The Moily committee had, in its interim report, felt the need for allowing time for higher educational institutions to implement the full-fledged quota system.

Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh had been slapped with a show-cause notice by the Election Commission on the eve of Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Asom and Pondicherry for reportedly talking about the provision of 27 per cent OBC quota in violation of the model code of conduct.

The EC had, upon his clarification, virtually indicted him, but said it was not taking any action against him for want of conclusive evidence.

The quota issue had come alive after a Supreme Court order exempting unaided, private educational institutions from the purview of the quota system.

UNI