New Delhi: The Congress on Wednesday pressed the PM Modi Government to act on the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education's report recommending reservations for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backwards Classes (OBC) in private higher educational institutions (HEIs).
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, in a statement, said that the Committee chaired by senior party leader Digvijaya Singh has presented its report to Parliament advocating for the implementation of reservations in private HEIs.
The statement highlighted that Article 15(5) of the Constitution, introduced by the UPA Government under Dr Manmohan Singh in 2006 through the 93rd Amendment, empowers the government to mandate reservations for SC, ST, and OBC students in private HEIs. In May 2014, the Supreme Court in Pramati Educational and Cultural Trust v Union of India upheld the validity of Article 15(5), affirming that reservations are permissible in such institutions.
However, the statement pointed out that no law has been passed by Parliament to enforce Article 15(5). Data examined by the Committee revealed low representation of marginalised communities in private institutions, including three Institutions of Eminence (IoEs) recognised by the Union Government, where SC students constituted only 0.89 percent, ST students 0.53 percent, and OBC students 11.16 percent.
In view of this, the Committee has unanimously recommended that the Parliament enact legislation to implement 15 per cent reservations for SCs, 7.5 percent for STs, and 27 percent for OBCs in private HEIs.
Jairam Ramesh stressed that the demand for reservations in private educational institutions can no longer be ignored. He also recalled that the Congress, in its 2024 Lok Sabha election manifesto "Nyay Patra," had pledged to bring such legislation.
"The Parliamentary Committee has now given renewed impetus to this demand. The ball is now in the Modi Government's court," Ramesh said.
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