'We can't have our own theory of backward classes'

In Conversation

M Veerappa Moily, former Karnataka CM and Oversight Committee chairman for implementation of 27 per cent reservation for OBCs, discusses his mandate with Business Standard. Excerpts:

What is the mandate of the Oversight Committee?

Our mandate is primarily to recommend ways and means to implement the 27 per cent quota in higher education in private and public institutions without affecting the general category seats. We have to prepare a comprehensive roadmap to build national institutions into global institutions. We are taking this opportunity to transform higher education in the country and build autobahns for a knowledge society. Sub-groups have forwarded their inputs but haven't critically examined them. I'm critically examining them in the context of global practices, workshops conducted by IIMs and various studies. So we will take more time.

But why an interim report?

The government is keen on implementing reservation from 2007-2008, hence the interim report. The detailed report will later critically examine what the various institutions are saying through the sub-groups and prepare a comprehensive roadmap for expansion in higher education.

How was the 27 per cent mark for reservation fixed? Besides is the OBC really equivalent to weaker sections mentioned in the Bill for reservation in higher education?

We are merely following the Supreme Court order which restricts the quota to 50 per cent. And we already have 22.5 per cent reservation for SC and ST. As for what is the definition of weaker sections, we have to again go back to the Supreme Court and the National Commission for backward classes which was formed, based on its order. We can't go beyond that and have our own theory of backward classes other than what the commission regards as backward. And that is the OBC.

The government has been sitting on the free and compulsory education Bill while speedily pressing for a quota in higher education. Your comment.

The government is very serious about education as a whole It is spending crores on primary education. What else are our Navodaya schools about? We will have more such schools. The fact that this committee has been set up to look at the whole implementation in a scientific fashion reflects the sincerity of the government. How can you have equality when there are different types of schools for different classes? Even corporates should do something. If Bill Gates and his wife and Buffet can contribute billions for their people, why can't Indian corporates do likewise? This is a challenge the corporates should accept.

How do you plan to increase seats without compromising on quality?

As they exist today, it is difficult. But it is our duty and that of the government to facilitate the institutions to cross frontiers of limitations through extra funds, through changes in norms, through more faculty. Other innovative steps that can be taken will be looked into. Shortage of faculty can be tackled, for instance, by hiring retired people, by extending the retirement age "� say to 65 years, by offering contractual appointment for five years and extending it again by five years. The governing council of institutions will be given the freedom and flexibility to decide on issues like the number of staff and their remuneration.

Won't merit be the casualty?
We have a mere eight per cent enrolment in higher education and only a few thousand students studying in IIMs. We have to think in thousands and not hundreds.

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OBC QUOTA IN PHASES: IIMs

Making it clear that implementing the 27 per cent quota (for other backward classes "� OBCs) in one go from the academic year 2007-08 will not be feasible, Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) have favoured the introduction of quota for OBCs in a phased manner.

The directors of all the six IIMs "� Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, Indore, Lucknow and Kozhikode "� took this stance at an extraordinary meeting today to discuss the issue. They cited lack of infrastructure and faculty as reasons. Introduction of quota system at one go means an increase in the intake of the students by an additional 54 per cent in just one year.

"The IIM directors say, though they are not against quota per se, they will be able to implement it only in a phased manner. The same will be communicated to the authorities concerned,'' said Samuel Paul, who heads the core group on management institute of the M Veerappa Moily's Oversight Committee.

He noted that IIMs will not be in a position to put the required infrastructure in place even if the government grants funding. "It cannot be done overnight. Besides, the IIMs have to evolve a preparatory programme for students (OBC quota) to bring them on a par with the mainstream. They need time to evolve a policy for all these," he added. Paul will submit his report to Moily by July 31. Moily has to send his observations to Union human resources minister Arjun Singh by August 31.