Click to play videoNew Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Thursday approved a Bill reserving 27 per cent seats for Other Backward Classes (OBC) in Central Government-aided higher educational institutions.
HRD Minister Arjun Singh promised that the Government would "very soon" frame a Bill providing for reservation in unaided educational institutions.
The Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Bill, 2006, which provides for reservation in government educational institutes, was passed by a voice vote after BJP-sponsored amendments for including minority institutions was rejected.
Singh dismissed Opposition MPs’ claim that excluding educational institutes run by minorities would affect admission of SC, ST and OBC students.
The minister said Government was preparing a new bill for unaided institutions and "very soon it will come to the House".
UPA MPs said the OBC bill was "revolutionary" and some demanded for reservation in private sector and the judiciary.
The Bill has not excluded the ‘creamy layer’ among OBCs though a Parliament committee had favoured that this segment should be included only after giving priority to underprivileged among the backwards.
The UPA was divided over the creamy layer issue with several Dravidian parties opposing exclusion and Left parties favouring it.
The Government has already announced that the quota regime would be made operational from the academic year 2007. The Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha by Singh on August 25 this year.
It provides for a mandatory increase of seats in Central educational institutions which would be attained over a maximum period of three years beginning with 2007 academic session.
The Bill, applicable to Central Universities, IITs and IIMs and certain other institutions established, maintained or aided by the Central government, defines OBCs as the class or classes of citizens who are socially and educationally backward and are so determined by the Central government.
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