The Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Amendment Bill, 2012, which got the Rajya Sabha nod last month, was passed by a voice vote in the Lok Sabha today.
The Bill seeks to extend the time-frame for full implementation of the Act keeping in mind the time taken to create additional facilities in institutions.
HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said the measure seeks to balance state and central reservation policies.
The amendment says if seats reserved for Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes in a central educational institution exceed 50 per cent of the annual strength permitted, the institution need not make any reservation for OBCs.
According to the amendment, if such an institution is located in Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura and Assam's tribal areas, the percentage of seats reserved for SC/ST candidates will not be reduced from the level obtaining on the date immediately preceding the date of the Act's commencement.
Replying to concerns raised by members, Sibal said the government did not have the resources to set up 800-900 more universities and over 45,000 colleges and private sector needed to be roped in.