Contempt petition filed in SC against DU and Symbiosis, Pune

New Delhi, Jun 28 (UNI) A contempt of court petition has been filed against Delhi University (DU) and Symbiosis University, Pune for making admissions by providing reservation to OBCs in violation of the Supreme court order not to give reservation to OBCs in admission this year.

The contempt of court petition by anti-reservation organisation,"Youth for Equality", which is spearheading the campaign against caste based reservation in centrally run educational institutions of higher learning, has contended that Delhi University admission form contains column providing for qouta to OBCs while Symbiosis has decided to implement the 27% quota for OBCs in a phased mnner by providing 7% reservation during the current academic session that is 2007-08.

According to the petition, the two institutions are guilty of deliberate and wilful disobedience of orders of this court which had restrained the government and educational institutions against implementing the government notification issued in January this year providing 27% reservation for OBCs in educational institutions of advanced studies like IIM, IITs and Postgraduate medical science courses.

The petitioner has prayed to the court to summon the authorities responsible for intentionally violating the orders of this court.

A bench comprising Justices Arijit Basayat and Lokeshwar Singh Panta had stayed the government notification for one year on the grounds that the government notification is based on the data of 1931 census which cannot be authentic.

The petitions, both for and against the reservation have already been referred to a five-judge constitution bench for disposal. The petitioner opposing reservation are also seeking the review of the Manadal Comission report according to which OBCs constitute 52% of the total population of the country and this is based on 1931 census which was only caste based census and which is now over 75 years old and cannot be the current reservation policy of the State and the reservation policy should be based on economic Backwardness irrespective of caste.

The Centre is backing the caste based reservation policy on the grounds that the caste in most of the cases is responsible for social, educational and economic bakwardness of backward classes and the present government policy is affirmative and positive action by the state for upliftment of the backward caste and classes.

The Supreme Court, however, made it clear that it has nothing to do with the 22.5% reservation being provided to SC/STs.

UNI