Kalam, EC seek explanation on reservation

       New Delhi: President APJ Abdul Kalam and the Election Commission have objected to the Manmohan Singh Government's move to go ahead with a reservation proposal in the country's higher education institutions. While Kalam has categorically said that there is no room for reservations of this kind and that the government should instead think of increasing the number of seats, the Election Commission has described the move as a clear violation of the Model Code of Conduct and sought an explanation from Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh on the issue. The Election Commission said that the announcement made by Singh as reported in the electronic and print media gives concession to some sections of electorate just before the assembly elections that are due in the five states of Asom, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Pondicherry. According to the Election Commission officials, the Government's announcement is a prima facie violation of the Model Code of Conduct applicable in the above mentioned states. The Election Commission has taken suo motto action on the Government's timing of announcing the reservation issue. On Friday, the opposition BJP had alleged that Arjun Singh's announcement had violated the model code of conduct and action be taken against him.

     The 27 percent reservation has been proposed by the UPA Government for the OBC students, in the higher education that would include premier institutes like IIT and IIMs. On Wednesday, Union Human Resources Development Minister Arjun Singh had confirmed the reports of Central Government plan and had said: "We are just waiting for the elections to be over". Meanwhile, the Government's new proposal has evoked protests from some section of students and has referred it as the 'Mandalisation' of education. With new reports of some premier medical college coming under the Government's plan, medical students of Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences today protested against the government's move. Health Minister A.Ramadoss has said that the government is willing to consider 27 percent reservation of seats for the underprivileged sections of the society in all medical institutions acrosss the country.

Lucknow protest against reservations

     Lucknow: Students of elite business schools on Saturday came out and protested against the Central government's announcement to reserve 49.5 per cent of seats in the country's top management and engineering schools for reserved categories of population. The reservation issue has sparked debate across the country and business tycoons like Ratan Tata have also expressed disappointment at this move by the government, saying it could spark another wave of brain drain for the country. In the latest move the government plans to reserve 27 percent seats in IIMs and IITs and other federal universities over an above the existing quotas taking the total reservation to almost 50 percent, which means lesser number of seats for students appearing in the general category. Students at these prestigious colleges, like the India Institute of Management (IIM), the country's top B School say with reservations coming again they have no other option but to leave and apply in foreign colleges. Anoop Chaudhry at the prestigious IIM in northern Lucknow city said reservations will lead to unfair competition. "Number of seats remain the same as reservation increases but the students who are appearing in the general category it becomes they find it tougher for them to get through. Good students will find it tougher to get through," said Chaudhry. Some students also opine that the move has made them feel foreigners in their own land, hinting at a second "Mandal Commission" fiasco, which had seen possibly one of the country's biggest student outrage with many even killing themselves, in protest of the 1990 report which advocated quotas in jobs. Educational experts feel that this could lead to shifting of crhme la crhme to foreign universities of United Kingdom and Europe. Santosh Panda, Head of the department Economic, Delhi School of Economics, said with more reservations the quality of the institutes is going to be affected. "Just keeping 50 percent seats blocked for Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, OBC are going to affect the quality of education. You are debarring meritorious students from getting advantage of a good programme in a university. So benefiting the depressed classes in our society is good I will support that but that should not mean that you debar genuinely good students from getting admission," Panda told Asian News International in New Delhi.

Nitish Kumar supports reservation
by Gyanendra Kumar Keshri

      New Delhi: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today extended complete support for the Manmohan Singh Government's proposal to provide 27 percent reservations for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the country's academic institutions. "Reservations for socially and economically backward classes are within the framework of the Constitution and we welcome any such effort by the government," Kumar told reporters on the sidelines of an industry interactive meet on investment opportunities in Bihar. He said that his party had always supported such a move and, if the government intend to do that, it was a welcome step. Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh announced on Wednesday that 49.5 percent seats in premier academic institutions like IITs, IIMs and 20 central universities would be reserved for OBCs, SCs and STs. At present, 22.5 percent seats are reserved for SCs (15 percent) and STs (7.5 percent). The government intend to increase the quota to 49.5 percent by adding 27 percent for OBCs. Kumar said that 27 percent additional reservations for other backward classes would help in the upliftment of the socially and economically backward classes. "This is not permanent provision. Once these sections of society are adequately developed, such quotas can be eliminated," said Kumar. He pointed out that the amendment of the Constitution in winter session allowed government to increase reservations for socially and economically backward sections in educational institutions, whether aided or unaided by the government.

Stop appeasement politics: Naqvi
by Maya Singh

       New Delhi: In a scathing attack on the move to introduce reservations for other backward castes in higher education institutes, Bharatiya Janata Party vice president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh not to use "reservation policy for the sake of vote bank". "I know that none of the political parties will oppose your 'reservation policy' openly, but being a responsible citizen of India I want to know how much such policies have been successful in improving the livelihood of those, who are actually economically, socially or politically suppressed. Isn't it true that the policy facilitates only the creamy layers?" Naqvi said in his letter to Singh. Naqvi said that the move will affect the reputation of India as a brain bank. "Please don't sacrifice India's 'brain bank' for the sake of your vote bank politics and stop this reservation politics" he said. Naqvi, accusing the ruling Congress of double-speak, said that while this Government on one hand is proposing 27 percent reservation in IIMs, IITs and central universities taking the overall reserved seats to 50 percent, it is refusing to apply the same proposal to the minority-run educational institutions. While the upliftment of the socially, politically and educationally backward classes was essential, some "honest steps" were needed in this direction, he said.

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