Maharashtra bringing ordinance for 50 per cent quota in private colleges

The Maharashtra Cabinet today decided to promulgate an Ordinance to restore 50 per cent reservations in private professional educational institutions...

The Maharashtra Cabinet today decided to promulgate an Ordinance to restore 50 per cent reservations in private professional educational institutions—except private unaided minority institutes and deemed universities—for the 2006-07 academic session.

The quotas will be 50 per cent—13 per cent for SCs, seven per cent for ST and 30 per cent for the OBC categories—and applicable to the percentage of seats excluding those filled through the NRI quota and All-India entrance examinations.

After the Cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh cancelled his regular media briefing. Finally, it was NCP’s Public Works Minister Chhagan Bhujbal who spoke to reporters.

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“Maharashtra will be the first state to propose reservations through an Ordinance after the Centre’s amendment,” said Bhujbal, who backs reservations in higher education. In January, the Centre had passed a constitutional amendment, empowering states to provide reservations, by law, for students of SC, ST and backward classes in aided and unaided private educational institutes except private unaided minority institutes.

Last August, the Supreme Court had directed the Centre and state governments to enact legislation on the entrance exam, admission process and fee for vocational courses in private institutions. “These reservations proposed in the Ordinance existed from 1993 to 2005 in Maharashtra, but were struck down by the Supreme Court due to some legal lacunae in August. Now they will be reborn,” said Bhujbal.

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