The Hindu : Front Page : Cabinet panel for wider consultations

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Thursday, Apr 26, 2007
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Cabinet panel for wider consultations

Special Correspondent

UPA, Left to discuss OBCs quota issue today

NEW DELHI: The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) on Wednesday night decided to convene a meeting of all constituents of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and supporting Left parties on Thursday to evolve a suitable response to the Supreme Court stay on reservation for the Other Backward Classes in central higher educational institutions.

Since some key members of the CCPA could not attend the meeting — called on Wednesday afternoon by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh — a decision was deferred for another day. Speaking to reporters after the hour-long meeting, Union Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad said it was not differences but the absence of key allies like the Lok Janshakti Party and Pattali Makkal Katchi that influenced the decision to go in for wider consultations.

The Prime Minister decided to refer the matter to the CCPA after a meeting with Mr. Arjun Singh earlier in the day as the decision to keep the admission lists on hold had been a collective one of the ruling alliance and not of the HRD Ministry alone. Given the urgency of the matter, the CCPA meeting was convened for late Wednesday night, and one of the proposals on the table was to allow the IIMs to release the admission list as per last year's intake without a quota for the OBCs and a proportionate increase in seats.

This was confirmed by Mr. Arjun Singh. He said, "the question is whether we can grant permission for [admitting] the non-reserved category and then take up the issue of the reserved category when the courts take a final decision.''

Earlier in the day, Mr. Singh sought to set the record straight on the Ministry's April 5 directive asking all Central higher educational institutions to keep their admission lists on hold. "Contrary to what has been suggested, it was not the arbitrary decision of the Ministry. It was taken in consultation with allies and all political parties.''

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