Draft Bill for OBC quota ready

Govt likely to increase the number of seats in professional colleges

The government is ready with a draft Bill to extend reservation to socially and educationally backward classes in professional colleges, according to sources. Steps are also under way to increase seats in these institutions.

The government took the first step towards quotas for the OBCs in the Union Budget soon after Parliament passed the Constitutional Amendment 104 by doubling allocation for higher and technical education in anticipation of increased number of seats.

The allocation for higher education went up from Rs 600 crore in 2004-2005 to Rs 1,200 crore this financial year.

Similarly, allocation for technical education went up from Rs 700 crore last year to Rs 1,400 crore this year.

Sources in the Ministry of Human Resources Development said the government was ready with a draft Bill and details would be thrashed out before it was tabled in Parliament.

The origin of the move can be traced to the National Common Minimum Programme which mentioned that "the UPA will ensure that nobody is denied professional education because he or she is poor."

One of the objectives stated in the NCMP was "full equality of opportunity in education and employment for SC, ST , OBCs and religious minorities."

That the current step leaves out the minorities will be looked into at a later stage when the Bill is discussed, government sources say.