PC for quota, Khurshid says go beyond it

Union Home Minister P. Chidamabaram told a conference of minority commissions on Wednesday that reservation was the best tool for affirmative action, but minority affairs minister Salman Khurshid prodded Muslims to think beyond quota.

Union Home Minister P. Chidamabaram told a conference of minority commissions on Wednesday that reservation was the best tool for affirmative action, but minority affairs minister Salman Khurshid prodded Muslims to think beyond quota.

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“We need to go beyond reservation. The affirmative action under the PM’s initiative for the SCs and STs can also be used for the benefit of backwards among minorities and minorities in general,” Khurshid said.

Chidambaram said if there was a better instrument, it should be tried out. “But I believe that reservation is perhaps the most effective instrument for affirmative action that we have today.”

Muslims have been dogmatically demanding implementation of the Ranganath Mishra Commission, which has recommended 10% reservation for the minority community.

Khurshid said the process for this affirmative action had already begun with the “15-point programme”.