By introducing the 4.5 quota reservation exclusively for the minorities, the Centre had sought to provide admission to at least 325 minority candidates from the Muslim and converted Christian communities in the IITs.
The bench of justices K S Radhakrishnan and J S Khehar, which also questioned the rational behind fixing 4.5 percent sub-quota within the 27 percent OBC quota, wanted to know from the government if there was any constitutional and statutory support for granting 4.5 percent sub-quota.
When Additional Solicitor General Gourab Banerji persisted with the plea for stay on the high court ruling on the ground that it would affect the interest of minority students, the bench retorted, "Do you want us to set a trend?"
After this, the ASG left the court hall.
There are a total of 9,647 seats in different IITs including 4,722 for the general category students. A total 17,464 candidates were shortlisted for counselling this year.
The counselling for admission to 15 Indian Institute of Technology (IITs), Institute of Technology-Banaras Hindu University (IT-BHU) and the Indian School of Mines (ISM), Dhanbad is underway and the students who cracked the JEE-2012 are participating in it.
The counselling website had been opened for the shortlisted candidates from May 18, giving them a chance to opt the courses of their choice. The online counselling would go on till 5 pm on June 10 and candidates have not been asked to report in person for counselling. (More)
