Admissions in central universities could open mid-term to fill vacant seats reserved for Other Backward Classes (OBC).
The government has issued instructions for the filling of vacant seats after the Supreme Court rejected its plea to carry forward these seats to the next academic year. The court had said the seats should be filled with candidates from the general category if OBC students were not available.
Around 4,800 seats for OBC students are lying vacant in central universities.
The government, however, is hopeful the seats will be filled, with the annual income ceiling to identify the creamy layer among OBCs being increased from Rs 2.5 lakh per annum to Rs 4.5 lakh. “A large number of eligible OBC candidates didn’t get admission because they failed to produce income certificates as per the old criteria,” a government official, who didn’t wish to be identified, explained.
The Cabinet gave its approval to the new income criteria for “creamy layer” in October first week. Now, there is greater possibility of filling the vacant seats,” the official said.
The “creamy layer” generally refers to the better off among OBCs. The government has laid out an income criteria to identify people who belong to the category.
The University Grants Commission, the regulatory body for all universities, has asked all central universities to work out a schedule to fill vacant seats. “Each university will have its own admission process,” a top UGC official, who didn’t wish to be named as the matter is still to be discussed with the vice-chancellors, told HT.
{{/usCountry}}The University Grants Commission, the regulatory body for all universities, has asked all central universities to work out a schedule to fill vacant seats. “Each university will have its own admission process,” a top UGC official, who didn’t wish to be named as the matter is still to be discussed with the vice-chancellors, told HT.
{{/usCountry}}OBC candidates would be given first priority. But if the seats can’t be filled, then general category students would be admitted, the official said.
The commission has called a meeting of vice-chancellors of central universities on November 10 to discuss issues regarding higher education, including the implementation of the OBC quota, UGC chairperson Professor S.K. Thorat said.
Normally, large-scale admissions do not happen mid-session. “Admissions are allowed for only a few vacant seats. But this time, the situation is different,” said another UGC official on condition of anonymity.