The Kerala Cabinet has decided to introduce reservation and educational benefits for certain backward communities and restructure reservations in admissions to higher secondary and vocational higher secondary schools and professional courses. As many as 30 communities are covered by the decision taken just before the announcement of the Lok Sabha election schedule by the Election Commission of India.
The existing two per cent reservation for the Latin Catholics is revised. It will now be three per cent, jointly for Latin Catholic and Anglo Indian students. The Dheevara and the Viswakarma communities will get two per cent reservation while the Kudumbi, Kusavan, Kulalan, Kulalanair, Kumbharan, Velan, Odan, Kulala, Andhanair, and Anthurnair will get one per cent reservation.
A separate quota has been specified for Dheevara, Viswakarma, Kusava and Kulala communities who were getting reservation earlier under the category of Other Backward Hindu (OBH), the reservation for OBH will now be limited to three per cent.
Educational benefits will be extended to communities in the Vanika-Vaishya category and the communities of Vania, Veluthedathu Nair, Chetty/Chetties, Ezhavatthi, Ganika, Kanisu or Kaniyar Panicker, Kani or Kaniyan or Kanisan or Kamnan, Kalari Kurup or Kalari Panicker, Wilkurup, Perumkollan, Yadavar, Erumakkar, Devanga, Pattarya, Saliya, Pandithan, Vaniyar, Ezhuthachan, Chakkala or Chakkala Nair, Reddayar (excluding those in Malabar area), Kavutheeya, Veera Saiva, Vilakkithala Nair-Vilakkithalavan, Vaduka-Vadukan, Vadugar, Vaduka, Vaduvan, Chavalakkaran, Agasa, Kaikolan, Kannadiyan, Kerala Mudali, Madivala, Naickan, Tholkollan, Thottiyan, Mooppar or Kollan and Mooppan or Kollan. Benefits will also be extended to the OEC (Other Eligible Communities) category subject to the condition that the annual income of the families should not exceed Rs.1 lakh a year.
The Cabinet asked the Director of Backward Classes Development Department V.R. Joshi to report whether the educational benefits should be extended to the Other Backward Communities also, an official release said.
