Different colleges, different OBC quotas?

Two different laws may regulate the implementation of OBC quota in colleges under Delhi University (DU) this year. The central law covers DU — a central university — but several colleges affiliated to it are fully funded by the Delhi government and the state law department believes the central law doesn’t apply to these colleges.

The department, in a note on May 16, stated that a fresh, state-specific law was required to implement the 27 per cent OBC quota in institutions fully funded and managed by the state government. There are 20 colleges — of which eight are professional — fully funded by the state government. The government is expected to take a final decision on the recommendation soon. Delhi Education Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely was not available for comment.

In a related but separate development, a committee that examined the implementation of OBC quota in eight professional institutions run by the state government has drawn out a five-year road map. The committee also agreed with the observation of the law department that a separate law for the state was required.

Maulana Azad Medical College, Maulana Azad Dental College, Delhi College of Engineering, Netaji Subhash Institute of Technology, Ayurvedic and Unani Tibbia College, Jawaharlal Nehru Homeopathic Medical College at Defence Colony, Delhi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research and College of Fine Arts are the eight professional institutes of the Delhi government, of which five are affiliated to DU.

The Delhi law department’s contention is the Central Education Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act, 2006, is not applicable to the institutions not receiving aid directly from the Centre. The committee on reservation in professional institutions, headed by state Higher Education Secretary G. Narendra Kumar, has recommended the 27 percent OBC quota be staggered over five years, and not three years as mandated by the central law. In the first two years, 2.5 per cent seats would be reserved for OBC students. In the third year, it would be five per cent. The remaining would be filled in the last two years. The committee has, however, not said from which year the reservation should be enforced. It has also suggested Rs 372 crore would be required to improve infrastructure and faculty to increase intake of students by 54 per cent in five years.

The move has upset academics in DU, who say admission in any college affiliated to DU should be mandated to go by the central act.