The government has decided to bring an enabling law in the monsoon session of Parliament to give effect to 27 per cent OBC quota in central educational institutions from the academic session starting June 2007.
The UPA-Left Coordination Committee, which met on Tuesday night, also decided that a committee of experts (Oversight Committee) will be set up to draw a time-bound road map to implement the quota regime.
Smaller groups consisting of deans, directors and VCs of the institutions concerned will be constituted to work the details for each class of institutions. The Oversight Committee will put together the recommendations of these groups and submit a report by August 31, 2006.
After the three-hour meeting, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who heads the GoM which went into the issue, said a resolution was adopted to implement the quota regime in “letter and spirit”.
He said keeping in view the interests of all sections of the student community and to meet their aspirations for opportunities for higher education, the number of seats in central institutions would be increased.
Most of the 48 members who attended the meeting spoke on the issue that has brought the pro- and anti-quota lobbies on the streets.
{{/usCountry}}Most of the 48 members who attended the meeting spoke on the issue that has brought the pro- and anti-quota lobbies on the streets.
{{/usCountry}}Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi allowed the other members to speak when the issue came up for discussion.
According to the GoM’s proposals on the quota regime, the number of seats will have to be increased by 54 per cent to preserve the absolute number of seats in the general category while pushing for quotas. This will cost the exchequer over Rs 10,000 crore.
Besides looking for finances, the other big problem will be to find additional teachers. One option said to have been offered by the GoM was to re-employ teachers till the age of 65.