SC to decide on Govt notification on OBC quota

New Delhi, July 31: The Supreme Court will decide on August 7, whether the order of interim stay dated March 29, 2007 on the government notification providing 27 per cent quota for the OBC's in admission to centrally run educational institution of higher studies, deserves to be modified or not.

The three judge bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan, Justices RV Raveendran and Dalveer Bhandari today directed centre's application praying for vacation of interim stay against the interim order shall be decided first. The parties having permitted to file a reply to the application as well as written arguements if they so desire latest by August 4.

It may be noted here that a two judge bench added by Justice Arijit Pasayat had on March 29 stayed the government notification for one year to enable the government to place on record more authentic caste based data of the population of the country as it refused to accept 1931 census data as authentic.

The anti reservationist are opposing caste based reservation policies on the ground that it will divide the Indian society along the caste lines and economic backwardness should be the soul criteria for providing reservation.

The centre which is supporting the caste based reservation has contented that even if 27 per cent quota is not given to the OBC's it will not benefit the general category candidates and if the quota is given to OBC's it will not cause any prejudice to general category as the number of seats available to them will remain the same and for providing reservation to OBC's the number of seats shall be increased to accomodate the latter.

The centre has also contended that the facts regarding Tamil Nadu were not placed before the bench which passed the restrained order.

The matter was earlier referred to the constitution bench as the petition raised several question of public interest as well as substantial question for flaw which deserves consideration by a larger bench.

The DMK of Karunanidhi and the RJD of Lalu Prasad are also supporting the central government. The centre is also pleading that since OBC's have been oppressed for centuries in the name of caste and have become socially, educationally and economically backward and must be given benefits of reservation to uplift them.

UNI