The Rajya Sabha on Thursday passed a crucial Bill that extends the time limit from three to six years for providing reservation to the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and the Other Backward Classes in the Central education institutions.
The Bill also seeks to add a proviso that if there are Central educational institutions in a tribal area, the State seats in those institutions shall have reservation for the SCs, the STs and the OBCs. The State seats refer to seats allocated for eligible students of the State in which the Central educational institution is situated.
The Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Amendment Bill, 2010, was adopted by voice vote after Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal assured members that the 27 per cent reservation for the OBCs would be fully implemented in the Central institutions well within the three years' extended time period. Besides, 27 per cent for the OBCs, the national policy provides for reservation of 15 per cent seats for the SCs and 7.5 per cent seats for the STs.
The Bill says that if the total number of reserved seats exceeds 50 per cent then there shall be no reservation for the OBCs and the total percentage of reserved seats shall be reduced to 50 per cent in all areas except the specified north-east region.
The implementation of the Act, took effect from 2008 calendar year, says the amended Bill and thus, the time frame has been extended till 2014.
Some of the Central Educational Institutions, particularly medical institutions and the Delhi University, found it difficult to adhere to the time limit of three years for creation of requisite physical and academic infrastructure owing to various reasons beyond their control, the Minister explained.
The Principal Act (the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act, 2006), requires institutions to increase the total number of seats in such a manner that the number of unreserved seats (general category) is not reduced due to reservation for OBCs.
This was based on the number of seats available for general category before the Act was passed.
The Principal Act states that in case the Central government decides that a Central educational institution is not able to increase the seats to its annual permitted strength due to financial, physical or academic limitation, it may allow such institutions to increase the seats within three years. The Bill increases the time period to six years.
It states that reservation of seats shall begin in 2007, while the new Bill amends this to 2008. Thus, the time-frame has been extended to 2014 from 2010.
Responding to demands for increasing the percentage of reservation and provide it in accordance to the population of communities, Mr. Sibal said the Bill concerns concerned only the Central institutions and States were free to take decisions on increasing reservation in state institutions as such.
“If required, States can make more reservations. You talk to your Chief Ministers. This Act only applies to the Central education institutions,'' he told members from Tamil Nadu and Orissa.
