The Hindu : Front Page : It’s ‘victory for social justice’: Moily

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It’s ‘victory for social justice’: Moily

Karnataka Bureau

Bangalore: M. Veerappa Moily, Chairman of the Oversight Committee for implementation of 27 per cent reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in Central educational institutions, has described the Supreme Court verdict upholding quota as a “victory for the cause of social justice and for the Congress party which took the initiative”.

Speaking to The Hindu, he said that the proposal had faced stiff resistance because of the mistaken notion that it would deprive opportunities to those who are not under the reserved category. The committee had allayed these fears by recommending expansion of seats in all the existing institutions by 54 per cent and made financial provisions to ensure larger intake of students, he added. “Spheres of excellence cannot remain islands,” he said. “The institutions should expand, include and excel,” he said.

‘Revolutionary’

The exclusion of the creamy layer might cause some resentment, he said. However, “the revolutionary judgement” would ensure that the most deserving among the backward classes get access to higher education, he added.

Ravivarma Kumar, former chairman of the Backward Caste Commission, said: “It has set right the social injustice suffered for 60 years in Central educational institutes.” No less than 52 per cent of the country’s population will finally get their legitimate access to these institutes, he added. “Karnataka, being an educationally forward State, with a rich tradition of providing reservation both in services and in education, will see a great leap forward,” he said. The country’s 20 Central universities and several other Centrally funded institutes of higher education, including Bangalore’s NIMHANS and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), will be covered by this judgment, he said. However, the “creamy layer principle” should be “eliminated” especially in the field of education, he said. “It is unfortunate that when such a reservation is being implemented, that a section of the backward classes should be eliminated in the name of creamy layer. This will prevent OBCs from attaining a level playing field.” Paneer Selvam K., Deputy Registrar (Academic) at IISc, said the institute would await the order from the Ministry of Human Resource Development and that the quota would be implemented accordingly. Representatives of Student Federation of India and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, “welcomed” the order.

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