'Reservation for OBC in 2007-08 to cost Rs 2,686 Cr'

New Delhi, Mar 21: India will spend Rs 2,686 crore to offset the impact of reserving higher learning seats for Other Backward Classes in 2007-08, a new government Report indicates.

The process involves adding 12,720 seats in 59 higher education institutions, according to the Human Resource Development Ministry's Outcome Budget 2007-2008.

The Report indicates that the addition may be more distinct in the first year in Delhi and Allahabad universities, Roorkee and Kharagpur IITs and Warangal NIT.

The Report is part of efforts to implement the recommendation of an 'oversight' panel headed by former Karnataka Chief Minister and Administrative Reforms Commission chief M Veerappa Moily.

The panel was appointed following protests over the government decision to reserve higher learning seats for the OBCs.

Protesters voiced concern over possible loss of opportunity for general category students.

Moily recommended implementing reservation over a three year period during which seats may be added to cushion the impact on the general category students.

The Report says the bulk of funds Rs 2,344 crore will be spent on 17 Central Universities, seven Indian Institutes of Technology and 20 National Institutes of Technology, adding 13,717 seats.

As much as Rs 576 crores will pay for 5,754 new seats in CUs, Rs 988 crores for 1,788 seats in the IITs and Rs 780 crores for 3,831 seats in the NITs. The six Indian Institutes of Management will spend Rs 80 crores to set up 157 new seats.

Of the nine other schools, the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore will spend Rs 90 crores on 280-330 new seats, the Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad, Rs 58 crores for 144 seats, the Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad, Rs 30 crores for 133 seats, Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology, Punjab Rs 22 crores for 216 seats.

The National Institute of Industrial Engineering, Mumbai will spend Rs 16 crores for 57 seats, Pandit Dwarka Prasad Mishra Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design and Manufacturing, Jabalpur, Rs 14 crores for 120 seats and the School of Planning and Architecture and the Atal Behari Vajpayee Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management, Rs 12 crores each for 42 seats and 61 seats respectively.

The National Institute of Foundry and Forge Technology will spend Rs 8 crore for 137 seats.

Among central universities, Delhi University will add the maximum 3,142 seats, Allahabad University, 1,134 seats, Banaras Hindu University, 447, Jamia Millia Islamia, 301, Visva Bharati, 156, Jawaharlal Nehru University, 101, Assam University, 77, Pondicherry University, 69, Hyderabad University, 63, North Eastern Hill University, 64, Manipur University, 59, Tezpur University, 31, and Maulana Azad National Urdu University, 28.

Among the IITs, Roorkee will add 309 seats, Kharagpur, 295, Kanpur, 267, Mumbai, 209, Chennai, 204, Delhi, 151, and Guwahati, 101.

Among NITs, the school at Warangal will add the maximum 525 seats, followed by Calicut, 317,Trichi, 296, Bhopal, 282, Surat, 250, Jaipur, 247, Durgapur, 237, and Rourkela, 235.

UNI