Private institutions Agree to OBC Quota

The Quota Problem back to the center stage. Now it is not in Goverment Aided Colleges but in private Educational institutions. HRD Minister Arjun Singh launched phase two of his plans in reservation for OBC people in education.

A Changed statergy on reservations in private colleges is yealing fruits for him unlike what Arjun singh faced when he proposed for Goverment aided institutions. During the meeting with vice chancellors of private institutions, some like Symbiosis and Manipal institute of technology have all agreed to reservations in private higher education institutions.

HRD Minister Arjun Singh says, "All Vice chancellors unanimously agreed (if one agree as per him everone agrees) that there should be reservation in the institutions for SC/ST and OBCs."

But it's a clear departure from the approach taken by the HRD ministry earlier this year when it drafted the Bill for reserving seats in government-aided institutes. This time for private institutes wider consultations are being held. But some issues remain unresolved. First is the regulation of fee. Private institutes do want general category students to be burdened with the fee exemptions proposed for reserved category.

There are differences over setting up of a central regulatory authority for regulating to oversee the quota law and whether these institutes will get some aid from the centre for the implementation. Manipal Academy of Higher Education Professor VC H S Ballal says, "We are going to increase the number of seats to compensate for this reservation. All those discussions have taken place. "

A group of ministers headed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee is looking into the Bill to reserve seats in unaided private institutes. If cleared by the Cabinet it could be introduced in the Winter Session of Parliament.

some extracts from google news