SC to pronounce verdict on OBC quota on Apr 10

New Delhi, Apr 10: The Supreme Court will today pronounce its verdict on the constitutional validity of the controversial law to provide 27 per cent reservation for the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in higher educational institutions.

The apex court will decide whether the Centre was legally right to provide OBC quotas in higher educational institutions like the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS). n November 1, 2007, the apex court had reserved its judgment after a hearing that lasted 25 days on petitions challenging the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act, 2006.

The petitions say that the creamy layer should not get reservation benefits and that the OBC quota will divide the society. The key objection in the case is that the government based the quota on a 1931 survey.

A five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice K. G. Balakrishnan concluded the arguments, which had commenced on August 7, 2007.

Besides Chief Justice, other members on the Bench included, Justices Arijit Pasayat, C. K. Thakker, R. V. Raveendran and Dalveer Bhandari.

The apex court in its March 29, 2007 interim order had stayed the implementation of the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act, 2006, providing 27 per cent quota for OBC.

ANI