Congress Urges Law For SC/ST/OBC Quota In Private Institutions

Congress demanded that the government bring legislation for SC, ST and OBC quotas in the country’s private, non-minority educational institutions. In a statement, Congress general secretary, communications, Jairam Ramesh, noted that the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports has suggested new legislation to implement Article 15(5).

Article 15(5) asks the state to make special provisions by law for the advancement of socially and educationally backward classes, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes, including reservation in educational institutions, both public and private, except for minority educational institutions.

The Congress leader said that the party had demanded earlier to implement Article 15(5) of the Constitution in private educational institutions. Now, the party reiterates this demand, Ramesh said.

Read also: What Haunts Indian Education System Today, Sonia Gandhi Writes

He said, “In its 364th Report on the Demand for Grants for the Department of Higher Education, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth, and Sports also recommended a new legislation to implement Article 15(5) as well. The Indian National Congress reiterates this demand.”

The 93rd Amendment Act, 2005, took effect from January 20, 2006, and this amendment introduced Article 15(5) in the Constitution. Moreover, the reservations for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, and socially and educationally backward classes of citizens in central education institutions were introduced in 2007.

Ramesh cited the case of Ashoka Kumar Thakur versus Union of India on April 10, 2008, where the Article 15(5) was held valid with 2-0 margin only for state-run and state-aided institutions and reservations in private unaided institutions left open to be decided in the appropriate course.