The Hindu : New Delhi News : Bill for OBC quota in unaided universities soon: Arjun Singh

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Friday, Sep 01, 2006

New Delhi

New Delhi

Bill for OBC quota in unaided universities soon: Arjun Singh

Special Correspondent

`Including unaided deemed varsities within the present Bill would not be legally tenable'

NEW DELHI: The Government will bring a separate Bill to provide reservation to Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in unaided deemed to be universities.

In a brief interaction with mediapersons here on Wednesday, Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Arjun Singh said such a draft legislation would come in due course.

At first, unaided deemed to be universities were to be included in The Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Bill, 2006, which was introduced in the Lok Sabha last Friday.

However, a group of Ministers — which examined the issue of extending reservation to OBCs in Central educational institutions — was of the view that it would not be legally tenable to include unaided deemed to be universities within the scope of this Bill and suggested that a separate legislation be brought in for such institutions.

Consequently, the HRD Ministry was asked to draft a separate legislation earlier this month for such universities. Though this Bill, too, was sent to the Cabinet for clearance along with the Bill to provide OBCs reservation in Central educational institutions, a decision was deferred to facilitate wider consultations.

PTI reports:

Under attack from the BJP on the issue of singing Vande Mataram in educational institutions on September 7, Arjun Singh on Wednesday said he had not given any directive to the States and it was only a suggestion. He said a "needless controversy" had arisen over the singing of the song.

"Without any reason, there is a controversy in Vante Mataram. Vande Mataram is not such a song. It is the national song," Mr. Singh told reporters.

He declined to comment on the reported move of the BJP-ruled States to make the singing of the national song compulsory in schools on September 7. "You ask the State Governments," was his cryptic response. The issue had rocked the just-concluded monsoon session of Parliament with BJP and Shiv Sena members accusing the Government of trying to appease the minority community.

The HRD Minister had said earlier that the decision to celebrate the centenary of the song's composition had been taken at an all-party meeting and later he had written to all Chief Ministers that the first two stanzas of the song should be sung at 11 a.m in all schools, colleges and other educational institutions.

Mr. Singh had also clarified that in reply to questions from the media on this issue he had said whosoever wanted to participate in the recitation of the song could do so.

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