The Hindu : Front Page : 3.5 per cent reservation for Christians to go

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Oct 14, 2008
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3.5 per cent reservation for Christians to go

Special Correspondent

This follows a request that a delegation made to Karunanidhi

— Photo: DIPR

studying the issue: Christian leaders meeting Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi at the Secretariat in Chennai on Monday.

CHENNAI: Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi has assured a delegation of the Christian community that the 3.5 per cent reservation for Christians in government jobs and education within the reservation for Backward Classes would be withdrawn.

This follows a request from the delegation, which submitted a memorandum saying that Christians were losing out on employment and education opportunities because of the new legislation.

It was to ensure that Christians and Muslims benefit from the 30 per cent reservation accorded to Backward Classes that the Chief Minister had announced last year that 3.5 per cent reservation each would be given to Christians and Muslims from the 30 per cent reservation for Backward Classes. At present, the government was following the policy of 69 per cent reservation for the Backward Classes, the Most Backward Classes/De-notified Communities and the Scheduled Castes/Tribes.

The move follows the recommendation made by the Tamil Nadu Backward Classes Commission, headed by Justice M.S. Janarthanam. The Commission’s advice was based on the report of the Second Backward Classes Commission. While Muslims welcomed the move, representatives of Christians said they did not benefit from the 3.5 per cent rule. Hence, Mr. Karunanidhi assured them that the government would re-draft the law in such a way as to grant Muslims alone the benefit of the 3.5 reservation. Christians would compete with other Backward Classes.

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