Petition against DU decision on quota

A writ petition has been filed before the SC against the DU's decision to include a category for the OBC in its common pre- admission form issued for the current academic year, reports Bhadra Sinha.

A writ petition was filed on Wednesday before the Supreme Court against the Delhi University’s decision to include a category for the Other Backward Category (OBC) in its common pre- admission form issued for the current academic year. The petitioner, Youth for Equality, has also challenged Pune based Symbiosis International University’s order to reserve 27 per cent of its seats for the OBC in this academic year.

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Claiming that the move by both the Universities is in violation of the Supreme Court order that had on March 29 stayed the implementation of the Central Education Institutions (Reservation in Admissions) Act, 2006, the petitioner has sought a restraint order against their decisions.

The petitioner’s advocate ML Lahoty has further contended in the petition that the Universities’ move was illegal as several petitions challenging the validity of the Act are now pending for a hearing before a five-judge Constitution Bench.

According to the petitioner, the Delhi University, has instructed the students applying for admission to its Bachelors program to indicate whether they belong to OBC category. This, the petition claims, is without any current scientific evaluation as to “who is OBC or who is Socially and Educationally Backward.”

The petition further states that in defiance to the Supreme Court’s interim order Symbiosis, in its admission notification of April 30, implemented the recommended 27 per cent seat allocation for OBC students. Beginning with the academic year, the Institution will initially create 7% seats in both its post graduate degree as well as under graduate degree programme, increasing it to 13% and 27% in the subsequent two years.

A similar petition against Symbiosis International University is already pending with the Supreme Court. While hearing the petition filed by some students, a division bench had on June 18 adjourned the case for a hearing after vacations stating the University would grant admissions under the OBC quota category “at its own peril.”