Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Compiled By
K. SAMU
Human Rights Documentation,
Indian Social Institute, Lodi Road, New Delhi, India
Bill seeking 80% reservation for local people still pending (25)
GANGTOK, Feb 8 – A bill to woo voters ahead of the assembly elections in Sikkim seeking 80 per cent
employment for local people is still pending with the President after the former governor did not give
assent to it and referred it to her. The bill is still pending with the President for consideration, Assembly
Secretariat officials confirmed to PTI. The then governor Sudarshan Agarwal had referred the bill to the
President for consideration about six months ago.Exercising his discretionary powers, Agrawal chose not
not to dispose of the Sikkim Promotion of Local Employment Bill (Bill No. 18 of 2008) after having refused
to give his assent to an identical bill (bill no. 9 of 2008) which had proposed to reserve 95 employment for
the locals. He stated that it was in contravention of Articles 14, 15 and 19(1) (g) of the Constitution and
the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court with regard to the upper limit prescribed for the purpose of
reservation. The former governor, whose tenure came to an end in July last year, forwarded the bill to the
President for her consideration under Clause 2 of Article 254 of the constitution before demitting office.
The proposal to reserve a significantly high percentage of employment opportunities for the Sikkimese
people had appeared to have become a matter of prestige for the Chamling government after it was
forced to withdraw the legislation for 95 per cent reservation of employment for locals on the floor of the
house last year when it was not approved by the then governor. The state government, however, wasted
no time and came up with a new draft legislation seeking to reserve 80 per cent employment for the local
people and introduced it during another session of the state assembly and got it passed by the members
unanimously by a voice vote. The proposed bill on promotion of local employment had proposed to
percolate the benefits of reservation in employment to all sections of the society in Sikkim. It proposed to
reserve employment at 10 per cent each for the wards of the traders/old settlers and the floating
population, besides seeking to reserve 80 per cent employment strictly for locals having the Sikkim
Subject Certificate or the Certificate of Identification. – PTI (Assam Tribune 9/2/09)
National Law School (NLS) not implementing quota for OBC (25)
National Law School of India University (NLSIU) had decided on not implementing the OBC quota for
2009-10, a writ petition filed by a student might change this. The petition, admitted by the Andhra Pradesh
High Court, has challenged the non-implementation of the OBC quota in all eleven law universities,
including NLSIU participating in the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) this year. In its prospectus for
admissions to 2009-10, the University has not kept any seats under the OBC quota this year. NLSIU
currently gear reservation only for Scheduled Castes (15 pc), and Scheduled Tribes (7.5 pc). With a total
of 80 seats on offer this year for the B.A, LL.B (Hons) degree programme, this works out to the following:
General-55 seats, SC-12 seats, ST-6 seats, PWD-2 seats, and foreigners-5 seats. Under the Central
Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act, 2006, every central educational institution is
mandatory to reserve 27 pc of its seats for OBC’s. But this has to be done without disturbing the number
of seats available under the general category. Institutes are allowed to implement the quota in phases --
currently the IIT’s and IIM’s are implementing the OBC quota over 3 years in phases. NLSIU officials say
that without funding from the Centre it cannot implement the quota. The university is self-financed, and
cannot generate the funds required. (IndLaw News 31/3/09)
More seats give IIT aspirants higher hope for slice of success (25)
MUMBAI: It was at IIT-Bombay that Nandan Nilekani learnt "the most important lessons of my life'', a
gratitude that the 1978-batch alumnus and now Infosys chief expressed with a $ 5-million donation to
the institute. Years ago, when Kanwal Rekhi of IIT-B's class of 1967 wanted to give back to his alma
mater, he fought bureaucrats in the HRD ministry to alter rules and allow government institutions to
accept "private donations''. Like them, most old students look back at their years at the prestigious
institutes fondly. This Sunday, a whole new batch of aspirants will queue up to, as a parent of an IIT
student said, "get in there and grab a slice of success'', much like their illustrious predecessors. While
entry to the IITs has never been easy, competition this year will be tougher as close to 4 lakh candidates,
across 131 cities (around 193 students will take the exam at a centre in Dubai), appearing for the JEE.
However, the number of seats in the 15 IITs has risen to over 7,300. "Besides the two new IITs, seats will
increase as the IITs will implement the second phase of 18% OBC reservation,'' said Bhabha Sarma,
chairman JEE 2009. The rise in the number of aspirants from 3.11 lakh in 2008 to 3.95 lakh in 2009 has
forced the IITs to book more exam centres. The Mumbai zone has seen the largest surge. A K Pani, a
JEE 2009 chairman at IIT-B said, "This year, we have 52 new centres in this zone. Exams will also be
conducted in Sawai Madhopur, which has been added to the list this year.'' Nearly 40% of the candidates
(1.55 lakh) are from the reserved category this year. To ensure that the seats for SC/STs are not left
vacant, IIT directors have decided to hike the 40% relaxation in scores to 50% from 2009. This means
that if the last general category student in 2008 was admitted with an overall score of 172 out of 489, the
aggregate cut-off for an SC/ST student was 104 (after a 40% relaxation). If the general category cut-off in
2009 remains the same, the bar for SC/ST candidates would be lowered to 86. Subject-wise cut-offs
would also be affected. Another relief for students is that the two new IITs-in Himachal Pradesh and
Indore-will start classes this year with 120 seats each, offering B Tech programmes in computer science,
electrical engineering and mechanical engineering. Sources said none of the six IITs started last year will
increase intake or offer new courses this year. "They do not have enough faculty members. Most
professors in the new institutes have been loaned out from the old IITs,'' said an IIT-JEE chairman. This,
in turn, has restricted expansion plans of the old colleges. Moreover, as reported in TOI earlier, the IITs
have also decided that the extent of relaxation for the physically-challenged candidates in JEE-2009 will
be on a par with SC/ST candidates. "The decision on conducting preparatory courses for disabled
students will be taken in a Joint Admission Board meeting,'' the JEE website states. (Times of India
9/4/09)
PMK fails to impress SC with its plea for caste-based census (25)
NEW DELHI: Failure to impress the UPA government to make preparations for a caste-based census in
2011 did not deter S Ramadoss's PMK, which exited from the ruling coalition after stitching a pre-poll
alliance with AIADMK, to try its luck in the Supreme Court on Thursday, but it failed. PMK pleaded before
a Bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justice P Sathasivam that "caste-wise census
would help the government to know the backwardness, inadequate representation in services and overall
efficiency of each caste". If PMK tried to reach the masses afresh its pro-OBC work ahead of the polls
through a public interest litigation (PIL) in the SC, the CJI-headed Bench proved equal to the task by
elegantly deflecting the issue knowing fully well the importance of any judicial intervention at this stage.
"How can we give a direction to the government to conduct a caste-based census? It is a policy decision.
If it was not done for last more than 70 years, there must be some reason behind it. Why should it be
done now? Some fear that there could be a social problem," the CJI said. "There is a Backward Class
Commission. Why don't you go there? These are policy matters of serious implications. The courts can
neither interfere nor give any direction to the government in such matters," the Bench said. Arguing for
the party, senior advocate Raja Verma Kumar said only OBCs were left out of caste-based population
enumeration. "They are collecting full data about SCs, STs, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains and Christians. It was
the lack of empirical data on the population of OBCs that had forced the apex court to stay for more than
a year the policy to provide 27% reservation to OBCs in educational institutions," he said. This did not
click with the Bench, which said: "The elections are round the corner. You wait for two months and there
will be a new government. May be you will also be part of it. And then you can represent the government
to change the policy on census." The unwillingness of the apex court to entertain the PIL forced the
counsel to withdraw the PIL. (Times of India 10/4/09)
Can quota category candidates, selected on merit, have service preference? (25)
New Delhi: A five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court will consider whether candidates in a
‘reserved category’ selected on merit and placed in the ‘unreserved category’ in the Central Civil Services
Examination could be given a choice to opt for service of higher preference in terms of Rule 16 (2) of the
CSE Rules at the time of ‘service allocation’. This rule says: “While making service allocation, candidates
belonging to SC/ST or OBCs recommended against unreserved candidates may be adjusted against
reserved vacancies by the government if by this process they get a service of higher choice in the order
of their preference.” A three-judge Bench consisting of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan and Justices P.
Sathasivam and J.M. Panchal in its order said: “In view of the fact that the issues raised and discussed
relating to amended Rule 16 of the CSE are applicable to all Central Civil Services, we are of the view
that an authoritative pronouncement is needed. Hence all these SLPs and writ petitions are referred to a
Constitution Bench.” The Centre appealed against a Madras High Court judgment holding ultra vires and
unconstitutional Rule 16 (2) and directing it rework service allocation dehors Rule 16 (2). Certain writ
petitions were also filed. The Supreme Court stayed the High Court judgment and on Thursday referred
the matter to a larger Bench. The Bench, quoting the ‘Indra Sawhney vs. Union of India’ judgment which
said that while “50 per cent [maximum] shall be the rule, it is necessary not to put out of consideration
certain extraordinary situations inherent in the great diversity of this country and the people … It may well
happen that some members belonging to say, Scheduled Castes, get selected in the open competition
filed on the basis of their own merit; they will not be counted against the quota reserved for SCs; they will
be treated as open competition candidates.” Writing the judgment, the CJI said: “In the light of this
decision [the question arises] whether it is reasonable not to give better preference of posts in service for
the persons of reserved category who have been selected in the open competition field on the basis of
their own merit and even if they are given such better preference whether that should not come under this
specific percentage as it will only be a certain relaxation or concession and not a proper form of
reservation.” The Bench said: “As far as amended Rule 16 is concerned, it is to be noted that reserved
category candidates selected in the merit/unreserved category upon the basis of their merit have not
availed [themselves] of any relaxations which are only available for the reserved category candidates.”
The Bench said that “in the present case, the UPSC has provided the amendment of Rule 16 which has
been made to fulfil certain objective specified in the Rules.” However, the question whether reserved
category candidates could actually avail themselves of better preference of service under the reserved
category list or not could be decided only by a Constitution Bench. (The Hindu 15/5/09)
OBC quota up, DU to invite general students for vacant reserved seats (25)
New Delhi: Having increased the number of seats reserved for students from the Other Backward
Classes (OBC) category, the Delhi University on Friday announced that it would throw open the “leftover”
seats in OBC category to students of general categories this year. This is in line with the Supreme Court
and the Human Resource Development ministry’s directions, university Vice-Chancellor Deepak Pental
said. He said OBC reservations would be increased to 18 percent for 2009-10 session. The university had
a 9-per cent reservation for OBC category students last year, and many of those seats had remained
vacant since applications fell short of the number of seats reserved. To avoid a recurrence, Dean of
Student Welfare S K Vij said the university would follow the apex court and HRD ministry’s guidelines by
inviting general category students for reserved seats that remain vacant. (Indian express 16/5/09)
Assocham fears new government could ask for quotas in private sector (25)
“Since the issue of affirmative action was kept on margins . The issue would resurface as India Inc is
anticipating that Dr Manmohan Singh, who would become the Prime Minister(for the second term), might
repeat the call for reservation in the private sector,” the chamber said in a statement here. Assocham
President Sajjan Jindal said industry would oppose legislation for reservation in the private sector. But it
would keep on employing people belonging to “downtrodden sections of society”. HR professionals in
manufacturing, hospitality, engineering, automobiles and other labour-intensive industries such as
textiles, and gems and jewellery have started keeping records of SCs/STs and “other backward
communities” employed, it said. The chamber claimed that the private sector “accommodates poorer
sections of society more than what is absorbed by the government and its public sector undertakings”. It
said in a competitive economy, productivity has to be maintained and that cannot be possible “if
reservation is imposed on it”. Business Standard 21/5/09)
Bainsla all set to revive his fight against ‘new nawabs’ of Rajasthan (25)
JAIPUR: Defeated in the latest Lok Sabha election by a Meena and seemingly farther from his long-
cherished goal of securing coveted Scheduled Tribe status for his community, Gujjar leader Kirori Singh
Bainsla is all set now to revive his agitation which has witnessed much bloodshed and turmoil in
Rajasthan in the past two years. The Gujjars continue to remain divided in their political loyalties and the
arch-rivals Meenas did much better at the polls but the spirit is willing for yet another battle, says the
retired Colonel whose agitation has had few parallels in Central India. “Our demand for Scheduled Tribe
status remains. In the meanwhile, the Congress governments both at the Centre and in Rajasthan should
do something about the Bill passed by the previous BJP Government in the State providing five per cent
special reservation for Gujjars and other small groups,” says Col. Bainsla, already back in the onerous
business of organising the disparate groups of Gujjars. “We will not sit quiet over the reservation issue.
Our action plan would be announced at a Maha Panchayat on June 10,” he says referring to the
proposed gathering of all caste groups over reservations in Mehrabgarh village of Bharatpur. “Our aim is
to get the public ready for 2010 when a national level review of the current pattern of reservation is
scheduled,” Col. Bainsla affirms. “The reservation issue needs a second look. No revision has been
carried out on reservations since the 1960s. We will ensure that a review takes place,” he observes. The
issue concerns all the castes other than a few who enjoy “extra benefits” of reservation, he says,
asserting, “All the caste groups supported me on this issue and it was evident in the election outcome.” “I
was the people’s favourite in the election from Tonk-Sawai Madhopur. My appeal made voters from all
the non-Meena communities cast their votes in my favour,” says Col. Bainsla, who lost to former Union
Minister Namonarain Meena of the Congress by a mere 317 votes. “I did not stoop to the level of
politicians. I kept my chivalry and magnanimity even at the time of polling and did not resort to any
drama,” says he explaining his behaviour at the time of the counting of votes. The election result in the
constituency was announced a day later as a technical snag held up the process. “I was denied justice.
My request for a recount was rejected by the Returning Officer. If a recount was carried out, the real
position would have come out,” says Col. Bainsla explaining the election outcome. Reminded of his
present position as a member of the BJP, Col. Bainsla says the party has several leaders and his stand
on ST status for Gujjars is known to all. “I know that I must abide by party discipline. I would function as
per party diktats yet that would not stop me from taking up my avowed mission,” he warns, adding, “Dr.
Bhimrao Ambedkar was a member of the Congress party but that did not deter him from espousing the
Dalit cause.” Col. Bainsla, who only the other day questioned the wisdom of the Congress Government in
appointing a Meena -- Harish Chandra Meena -- as the Director-General of Rajasthan Police when the
Gujjar-Meena issue was still on the boil, charges that reservations have turned Meenas into “new
nawabs”: “Those who have been enjoying the benefits of reservation over a period have started taking it
as their birthright. After enjoying what is in fact much more than their due, some of the communities have
got swollen-headed and belligerent.” (THe Hindu 27/5/09)
The Struggle of Dalit Muslims and Dalit Christians for scheduled caste status (25)
For announcing the Constitution Scheduled Castes Order 1950, paragraph 3 as ultra virus and ultra
motive against the secularism of our esteemed Indian constitution, Centre for Public Interest Litigation (
Represented by former Law Minister of India and eminent Advocate Mr. Shanthi Bhushan and Advocate
Mr. Prashant Bhushan ) and Franklin Caesar Thomas had collectively filed the civil writ petition in the
supreme court of India on 22.03.2004. This petition was filed by CPIL for getting the Scheduled Castes
status to convert Christian, Muslim members of the enumerated castes people of India. Concerned with
the above said civil writ petition: 180, year 2004, Union of India had referred this matter to National
Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities. NCRLM had positively recommended to Union of
India for granting Scheduled Castes status to the above said people by deleting the paragraph 3 ( as per
the media report ). After agreeing in the Supreme Court, based up on the NCRLM Report, Ministry of
Social Justice had asked the National Commission for Scheduled Castes to give comment regarding the
extension of Scheduled Castes privileges to these people by giving one set of the NCRLM report to the
National Commission for Scheduled Castes. By accepting the Social, educational, economical and
cultural backwardness of the Christians and Muslims of the Scheduled Castes origin people, Scheduled
Castes Commission had asked the Union of India for granting them the Scheduled Castes status. As per
the constitutional power of the Indian Constitution Article 338, sub division 9, National Commission for
Scheduled Castes had accepted and recommended to grant Scheduled Castes status to these people.
As per the above said recommendation, the above said Dalit Muslim and Dalit Chirtian people are facing
and affected by the traditional practice of untouchability in the major civil society and in their religious
society. As per the revised modalities of the Union of India for getting Scheduled Castes status to a
particular communities, state Governments should recommend to Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerment. Then Census Commissioner and the Registrar General of India should give
recommendations for these communities to be treated as Scheduled Castes. Then finally, National
Scheduled Castes Commission for Scheduled Castes should give positive recommendation regarding the
proposal. Then the Group of Ministers or the Cabinet should pass resolution to bring bill in Parliament. In
our issue, up to this time twelve state Governments and Union Territories had recommended to Union of
India for granting the SC status to these people ( In the year 2000, Bihar State Assembly had passed
resolution for granting SC status to Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims; in the year 2006 Uttar Pradesh
State Assembly had passed resolution in the state assembly for granting the SC status to Dalit Christians
and Dalit Muslims, in the year 2009, Andra Pradesh state Government had passed resolution in its
assembly for granting the SC status to Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims . With out referring the matter to
the Registrar General of India, directly Union of India had asked the National Commission for Scheduled
Castes to give comments, as per the Government's desire, NCSC had asked the Union of India to grant
SC status to these people. Scheduled Castes Commission's entire recommendation was submitted in the
Apex Court of India by the Additional Solicitor of India concerned with the above said Civil Writ petition
No: 180, year 2004. On 23.01.2008, the Additional Solicitor General of India had asked the Apex Court to
grant eight weeks time to take a decision in the Cabinet, Group of Ministers meeting for bringing reply to
the Apex Court of India. But still Union of India did not file any reply in the Supreme Court of India as per
their Commitment.
With out proper evidences, materials, Union of India had granted Scheduled Castes status to Dalit Sikhs
and Dalit Buddhist. If question is raised for granting the Scheduled Castes status to Dalit Buddhist and
Dalit Sikhs, it is told that Sikhism and the Buddhism are the off shoot of Hinduism. If it was so, in the year
1950 itself these people would have been treated as Scheduled Castes, why did the Union of India
separately added Sikhism in the year 1956 and the Buddhism in the year 1990, particularly in the
Presidential Order 1950, paragraph 3. As per the National Commission of Minorities Act 1993, Buddhism
and Sikhism are the seperate religions from Hinduism. When the Sikhism and Buddhism do not recognize
the untouchability and casteism, they had been given the Scheduled Castes status. For proving the
social, educational, economical and cultural backwardness of Dalit Christians par with Dalit Hindus, Union
of India is having the Mandal Commission's Recommendation, NCRLM Recommendation, National
Commission for Minorities Recommendation, National Commission for Scheduled Castes
recommendation, Detailed study done by Delhi University's Professor Dr. Satish Despande ( Financed by
Union of India's National Commission for Minorities ), Sachar Committee ( High Power Committee of the
Prime Minister of India ) Recommendations regarding the extension of Scheduled Castes privileges to
Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims, Cabinet Note of the Year 1996 for granting the Scheduled Castes
status to Christians of Scheduled Castes Origin and various state Governments' state commission
recommendations. The above said Commission Reports prove the traditional practice of untouchability
which are faced by Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims in the civil society and in their religious society par
with Hindu Scheduled Castes. Untouchability is a professional oriented discrimination in the society.
We do not want reservation to the elite people among Christians and Muslims. But we want the
Scheduled Castes reservation to the people whose castes names are there in the Schedule of the Union
of India who are socially, educationally, economically and culturally backward par with Dalit Hindus. The
only stumbling block, paragraph three of the Constitution Scheduled Castes Order 1950 should be
deleted or amended to take the religious ban ( by bringing bill in Parliament ) Or it should be striked by
the Apex Court of India as unconstitutional one. United Nations Human Rights Council’s Committee on
the Elimination of Racial Discrimination had strongly recommended to Union of India in the year 2007,
March for granting the Scheduled Castes status to these people. United Nations Socio Economic Council
and the Special Rapporteur on Religious Tolerance of U N Human Rights Council had stressed the Union
of India for granting the Scheduled Castes status to Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims based up on
violation of Human Rights basis. Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims are not living in their worshipping
places, but they dwell in the society where casteism prevails. Upper strata of the Christian, Muslim and
Hindu high castes people are treating these people as untouchables, so Scheduled Castes reservation
should be extended to these people forthwith. We are pleased to request Union of India to file reply in the
Apex Court of India as soon as possible based up on the above said Union of India's own documents.
(Source: IDMV, October 1, 2009, (All India Christian Council )
Forest Rights Act may help state win over Naxalites (25)
Lucknow, November 01, 2009: Looking at the new Central Act seeking to give land ownership rights to
the Scheduled Tribes and the forest dwellers as a potential weapon to fight Naxalism, the state
government has shown amazing willingness to implement the Act provisions, albeit reservations by the
Forest Department. On the other hand, the Central Government is also stressing the effective
implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) to undo
‘historic injustice’ done to the Adivasi. Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh will be inaugurating a two-day
conference of Tribal Affairs/Social Welfare ministers from the concerning states in Delhi on November 4
to review the preparations to implement the Act that came into effect in 2006 but its rules could be framed
only last year. Chief Secretary, Atul Kumar Gupta too is scheduled to have a video-conference with DMs
of concerning districts here to take stock of preparations, next week. In addition to allowing the STs and
the forest dwellers to cultivate to ceiling of four hectares of the land, the Act recognises the rights of
collecting of minor forest produce which has been traditionally collected within or outside the village
boundaries. As provided under the Act, committees headed by SDMs at Tehsil-level will get applications
from tribals willing to get rights, the SDM-level committees will forward applications to the committees
headed by DMs and DM committees will forward claims to State Government which will finally send the
list to the Centre for an appropriate action. SDM level committees formed in over half a dozen districts like
Sonebhadra, Mirzapaur, Lakhimpur, Bijnaur, Lalitpur, Gorakhpur and Balrampur have already got nearly
54,000 applications. “Of the total applications, 50,000 are from Sonebhadra alone,” Principal Secretary
(Social Welfare) Prem Narayan told the Hindustan Times. The Social Welfare Department has been
notified as the nodal body for the purpose.He said the follow up action was being taken to allot pattas to
the applicants after verification. “While the STs who have been living in the forests prior to the cut off date
will necessarily get the land ownership rights but other forest dwellers will get the same only if they had
been living there for last three generations, he pointed out. He admitted there were certain practical
problems in verifying the legitimate beneficiaries but all efforts, he added, were being made to tackle the
same…. (Hindustan Times 3/11/09)
Parliament panel pulls up govt for withdrawing SC/ST, OBC Bill (25)
New Delhi, December 01, 2009: Criticising the government for withdrawing the Scheduled Caste,
Scheduled Tribe and Other Backward Class Bill 2004, a Parliamentary panel has asked it to come up with
a fresh bill on the subject. The committee on the welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes,
which submitted its report 'Situation arising out of the employment secured on the basis of false caste
certificates' to Lok Sabha yesterday, has sought to know from the Ministry of Personnel, Public
Grievances and Pensions the reasons for the withdrawal of the bill. "The committee has urged the
government to withdraw the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Bill 2008, which replaced the earlier
2004 Bill and passed in Rajya Sabha in December 2008 without discussion, keeping in view the anti-
reservation provisions incorporated therein. "The committee has recommended that the government
should come forward with a fresh bill on the subject after consulting the committee, National Commission
for Scheduled Castes and Commission for STs." In another observation regarding evolving a mechanism
to monitor the extent of benefits reaching the SC/ST population, it said, "The ministry being the nodal
ministry, should not limit its responsibility only up to formulation of reservation policy at the Central level.
"But it should obtain information on the progress made in the implementation of reservation policy in
states in order to get a reality check in the matter throughout the country."(Hindustan Times 1/12/09)
Centre's decision for quota in medical PG not binding on states, says SC (25)
NEW DELHI: In a ruling having a major ramification for medical education, the Supreme Court on
Wednesday held that the Centre's decision to provide quota for SCs and STs in post-graduate medical
courses did not automatically bind the state governments to follow suit and implement it in their medical
colleges. It took note of the fact that the Centre has provided for reservation to SC and ST candidates in
the All India Entrance Examination for MD/MS/PG Diploma and MDS courses and also in the All-India
quota PG seats, but firmly handed down the ruling that "the same cannot automatically be applied in other
sections where state governments have power to regulate." Moreover, the Bench comprising Chief
Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justices P Sathasivam and J M Panchal appeared disinclined to grant a
direction to the states to follow the example set by the central government. It upheld the Haryana
government's decision not to provide quota for SC/ST in PG medical courses. "In our view, every state
can take its own decision with regard to reservation depending on various factors," said Justice
Sathasivam writing the judgment for the Bench. It said: "Article 15(4) is an enabling provision and the
state government is the best judge to grant reservation for SC/ST/Backward Class categories at PG level
in admissions and the decision of the state of Haryana not to make any provision for reservation at the
PG level suffers no infirmity." It accepted the Bhupinder Hooda government's explanation that reservation
in under-graduate medical courses is being provided strictly as per their policy but the PG level education
in medical education was governed by the Medical Council of India (MCI). It noted that "even the MCI has
not followed strict adherence to the rule of reservation in admisions for SC/ST category at the post-
graduate level." "In such circumstances, the court cannot issue mandamus (to the state) against their
decision and their prospectus also cannot be faulted for not providing reservation in PG courses," the
Bench said dismissing appeals filed by one DR Gulshan Prakash faulting the Haryana government's
decision not to provide reservation in PG-level medical courses in Maharshi Dayanand University. (Times
of India 3/12/09)
27% OBC quota may include reservation for backward class Muslims (25)
Union Minister of State (Independent charge) for Minority Affairs Salman Khurshid on Thursday said
reservation to Backward Classes of Muslims within 27 per cent OBC quota is under consideration of the
government. In a written response, to an un-starred question from Karimnagar MP P Prabhakar, on
whether the “government has any proposal to amend the Constitution to provide reservation to the
minority communities”, Khurshid said: “Providing reservation to Backward Classes of Muslims minority
community within 27 per cent OBC quota is under active consideration of the government”. He, however,
said there was no move to amend the Constitution. In response to another un-starred question, of BSP
MP Shafiqur Rahman Barq, on whether “the government had issued any guidelines to employment
exchanges regarding employment to minorities in view of the recommendations of the Sachar
Committee”, Khurshid, said: “The Prime Minister’s new 15-point programme for the welfare of minorities
provides for giving special consideration to minority communities in recruitment of police personnel,
Central police forces, Railways, nationlised banks and public sector enterprises, and for this purpose, the
composition of selection committees should be representative”. He cited a Department of Personnel &
Training (DoPT) Office Memorandum, dated January 8, 2007, which says that in order to make these
selection committees “representative”, “it should be mandatory to have one member belonging to SC/ST
and one member belonging to minority community in selection boards/committees for making recruitment
to 10 or more vacancies”… . (Indian Express 11/12/09)
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