SC refuses to clarify on OBC quota

Uncertainty continues over admission of the Other Backward Classes' students in central educational institutions as the Supreme Court on Friday refused to issue any immediate clarifications on the confusion regarding norms for the implementation of 27% reservation for the OBCs.

Uncertainty continues over admission of the Other Backward Classes' students in central educational institutions as the Supreme Court on Friday refused to issue any immediate clarifications on the confusion regarding norms for the implementation of 27% reservation for the OBCs.

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While maintaining that the clarification had already been given by the Constitution Bench, which had upheld the validity of a central law in 2008, a vacation bench headed by justice P Sathasivam said the matter would be taken up on Monday by another bench headed by justice RV Raveendran. Justice Raveendran, who was a part of the Constitution Bench, is already seized of the issue.

In a case relating to JNU admissions, the Delhi HC had in September 2010 said the cutoff marks for OBC should be 10% less than the minimum eligible marks for general category candidates and the matter came to the SC.

The cutoff marks for OBC candidates had been clarified by the Constitution Bench in October 2008, the bench, said: “We don't think any bench can deviate from the Constitution Bench verdict.”

Over three years after a five-judge Constitution Bench upheld the validity of the law providing for 27% reservation to OBCs in central educational institutions in April 2008, controversy over its implementation is refusing to die down.

Interestingly, two premier central universities of the country — Jawaharlal Nehru University and Delhi University — are following different norms with regard to the quota for the OBC students.