Wider consensus on quota needed: Karat to Manmohan

The CPI(M), which has been insisting on the implementation of reservation policy for OBCs in educational institutions, put further pressure on the government when CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to suggest that the policy should benefit the poor among the scheduled castes and tribes as well as the OBCs.

During the half-hour meeting on Monday afternoon, Karat said a wider consensus on reservation was needed and the education policy should be such that it does not promote commercialisation of higher education. The Left leader also suggested that the ‘‘creamy layer’’ among the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and OBCs should be excluded from the reservation policy.