Backward classes panel member opposes quotas

The proposal to provide reservation for socially and educationally backward classes in professional institutions including IITs, IIMs and medical and engineering colleges has found a vehement critic inside the National Commission for Backward Classes, the body meant to promote uplift of OBCs in the country.

Neera Shastri, an NCBC member who is also the daughter-in-law of former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, says the Centre's decision to implement a Constitutional amendment to extend quota for OBCs in all educational institutions including technical ones is gross injustice to the "cream of the country". Shastri represents the general category in the commission and her views are contradictory to the stand taken by its OBC members.

She felt she was not being unfair to the OBCs whose interests she is entrusted with.

"My job is to bring them up to merit and make them join the mainstream and not to keep them backward. This step of extending quota for OBCs in professional institutions is not in the interest of the backward classes or the nation."

Shastri, who is the wife of late Ashok Shastri and a member of the BJP, said she totally agreed with her party's opposition to quota for OBCs.

However, M S Matharoo, an OBC member of the commission, welcomed the proposal, saying that it was a step in the right direction.

As for Neera Shastri's views, he said she had put her signature in support of the Constitutional amendment. "We were all asked for our views before the amendment was made. Then she had no objection," he said.

Congress party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said the HRD ministry was only implementing the Constitutional amendment that was passed with all party support in January this year.

He said all aided and unaided educational institutions except minority institutions as mentioned in the amendment would extend quota to the OBCs.

A proposal to extend quota to OBCs in professional unaided and aided institutions had been sent to the Cabinet and it could lead to a fresh legislation or be implemented by introduction of a rule in an existing law, sources in the ministry said.