Modi govt not implementing quota for backward classes in pvt edu institutions: Congress

NEW DELHI: Calling it “unfortunate” that a prime minister who calls himself OBC has steered clear of social justice measures, Congress on Friday accused Narendra Modi of not implementing reservations in private educational institutions, including higher education, for 11 years since the Supreme Court gave its nod to the Constitutional Amendment of Article 15(5). The party demanded that the Modi govt bring a law to activate the constitutional provision in the coming Winter session of Parliament.

Congress also slammed the non-revision of income ceiling for OBC “creamy layer” which is pending for five years.

Heads of the party’s tribal, SC and OBC departments — Vikrant Bhuria, Rajendra Gautam and Anil Jaihind — said quotas in private educational bodies is the crying need of the hour, because private bodies dominate the education scene in the era of privatisation but with a small share of backward classes as students. They said the ‘parliamentary standing committee on education, women, children, youth and sports’ in its report on Aug 20 noted that private institutions of eminence have 0.89% SC students, 0.53% STs and 11.16% OBCs.

In this context, the panel, with members from all the parties, including BJP and headed by Congress MP Digvijaya Singh, recommended that the Centre pass a law to implement Article 15(5) to provide 15% quota for SCs, 7.5% for STs and 27% for OBCs in private higher educational institutions.

“Modi is sitting on this law for 11 years after the SC judgement upheld it. And, he calls himself an OBC,” Gautam said. Congress reminded that the Modi govt passed quotas for economically weaker sections within 48 hours but is not able to activate the law for the backward classes.

Jaihind slammed the govt for not revising the income ceiling for OBC creamy layer for the last five years, saying it is hurting the prospects of backward caste candidates in education and employment. Jaihind said the income ceiling is revised every three years and was last hiked in 2017, referring to a major controversial issue that has been repeatedly taken up by the Mandal outfits.

Congress demanded that the govt bring in a provision which would allow the unfilled quota seats of OBCs to be transferred to the “creamy layer” OBCs, just like the unfilled EWS seats are filled by the general castes.