New Delhi, May 18
Compelled to undertake a delicate balancing act with union Human Resource Development minister Arjun Singh having raised the pitch for 27 per cent reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in institutions of higher learning much to the bewilderment of the Congress leadership, the Committee constituted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held its first meeting here today to moderate the controversial issue rather than
precipitate matters.
Even as the junior doctors remained unbudging and demanded a Judicial Commission to review the entire process of affirmative action underlined by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, the government inexorably finds itself caught in a complex political storm with no quick fix remedies in sight.
Considering the politically surcharged atmosphere, Congress leaders without alluding to Mr Arjun Singh acknowledge that the quota announcement as an election sop in the run up to the just concluded election to four state assemblies and the union territory of Pondicherry has not provided any mileage to the party and needlessly queered the pitch. They are clearly biding for time and hoping that the committee or Group of Ministers set up by the Prime Minister will come up with a magic potion which serves the ends of affirmative action without harming the institutions of higher learning of their excellence.
No time frame has been fixed for the committee to evolve its proposals after wide ranging consultations with Dr Manmohan Singh taking the lead in having discussions with the political parties from Monday. The GOM will also have discussions with the political parties and groups to hammer out a formula with the specific intent that the general category students faced no disadvantage while providing the benefit of reservation to the OBCs.
Clearly, the ongoing exercise is to see that there is no confrontation though sources stress it will be premature at this juncture to say whether an Ordinance will be promulgated or the government comes forward with a fresh legislation. All this will depend entirely on the formulation thrashed out by the GOM.
The 93rd Amendment to the Constitution which took effect from January 20 this year has stipulated 27 per cent quota for OBCs in institutions of higher education.
Having stoked the quota fire, Mr Arjun Singh has said that the government wants to take everyone along in implementing the Constitution Amendment stressing there is no question of resiling from that commitment.
Caught hopelessly on the wrong foot, there is concern in Congress
circles that implementing the 27 per cent quota in one go can have an adverse impact on the party. That is why some leaders are talking privately of implementing this quota in phases spread over two to three years while strengthening and increasing the seats of the institutions of higher learning which involved serious infrastructure
bottlenecks.
It is well known that reservation does not necessarily mean swelling the vote bank of political parties among the underprivileged and backward classes. It is not without its inherent backlash from other sections. The apprehension is that the creamy layer among the OBCs will be the prime beneficiaries. There are also a minuscule few among the OBCs who insist that merit alone should be the criteria for admission to institutions of higher learning.
With hectic
developments throughout the day on the quota front, the Prime Minister met a delegation of CPI leaders. He assured them that the government was committed to reservation. There were “apprehensions among certain sections and we have to find a way out.” The GOM headed by Mr Mukherjee held its first meeting with the striking doctors in a bid to end the impasse amid the growing view in the government that punitive and firm action against the medicos should be avoided.
With the quota issue occupying centrestage, the enthusiasm connected with the Congress-led UPA government completing two years in office on May 22 has taken a back seat.
