HRD ministry, institutes draw up seat increase plans

With the Supreme Court giving the go-ahead for 27 per cent reservation for other backward castes (OBCs) in central educational institutions, the government has started work on plans to increase facilities and the number of seats so that the number of general category seats remains the same.

According to officials, in Budget 2008-09, an allocation of Rs 2,522 crore has been made for central universities, Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and National Institutes of Technology (NITs) etc for capacity expansion as recommended by the Oversight Committee.

While the IIMs have been provided Rs 53 crore, IISc has got Rs 70 crore and NITs Rs 608 crore.

"If this falls short for our plans for the year, we will ask for additional amount," Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh told Business Standard.

The ministry's Outcome Budget for 2008-09 shows the plans of some of these institutes for the first year. The IITs, for example, have been allocated Rs 771 crore. Their capacity, according to the report, is expected to increase by 1,778 seats, that is, around 16 per cent, during the year.

Last year's Budget had made a substantial allocation of Rs 2,698 crore for 54 per cent capacity expansion in central educational institutions, falling under the HRD ministry.

The plan, to be implemented over three years, did not work out after the Supreme Court stayed the implementation of the quota law and the money had to be returned to the finance ministry after the revised estimates.

Though there is no mention of the exact increase in the number of seats of other institutes this year, last year's Outcome Budget had given the proposed increase in capacities in various central universities, IIMs, NITs etc.

During 2007-08, all central universities were expected to increase their capacity by 5,754 seats. The capacity of central technical institutes was expected to increase by 5,754 seats. The break-up was 157 additional seats in IIMs, 280 in Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, 3,831 in (NITs and 314 in three IITs.

The institutes, meanwhile, are awaiting the directive of the HRD ministry to start the expansion process.

"In the changed context of the Supreme Court verdict and the issue of creamy layer, the empowered committee of the UGC will discuss and arrive at the expansion plan of each central university.

We expect the rise in the number of seats in the 24 central universities to be about 6,000, on the lines of the 5,754 seats proposed during 2007-08," Sukhadeo Thorat, chairman, University Grants Commission (UGC), told Business Standard. UGC has been allocated Rs 875 crore for implementing the recommendations of the Oversight Committee this year.

Thorat said there would be a meeting of university vice-chancellors by month-end after they receive the directives of the ministry (once it takes a view on the exclusion of the creamy layer from the quota benefit).

The ministry had earlier said that the implementation of the Oversight Committee's recommendations would see a phased increase in the capacity of these institutes over three years.

But Singh said his intention was to implement the 27 per cent quota from the first year itself. Even officials said that any institution willing to expand in one go would get full support. Last year, some NITs were ready for 54 per cent increase in the number of seats in one go.