Active from January 01, 2012 the students belong to minority communities will get
reservation benefit for top institutions, like the IITs, IIMs and AIIMS, jobs and
educational institutions.
With an eye on the coming Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh,
Punjab and three other states, the UPA regime tonight approved 4.5% reservation
for the minorities within the 27% quota for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in government
jobs and educational institutions.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the Union Cabinet presided over by Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh. It will take effect from January 01, 2012. The move is
expected to benefit the students belonging to the minority communities in getting
admission in top institutions, like the IITs, IIMs and AIIMS.
The castes/communities of the minorities, which are included in the central list
of OBCs notified state-wise from time to time by the Ministry of Social Justice
and Empowerment would be covered under this sub-quota. The suggestions for reservation
for the minorities had been made by the National Commission for Religious and Linguistic
Minorities.
The government obviously raced against time to beat the model code of conduct that
will soon come into force in the election-bound states once the dates for the polls
are announced. The election schedule is expected to be declared anytime now.
The Congress is wooing the Muslims in UP desperately to the party fold and hopes
to cash in on the decision taken tonight. In recent months, Congress General Secretary
Rahul Gandhi has undertaken whirlwind tours of the state, particularly the constituencies
in which the Muslims have a sizeable presence. In the 2007 Assembly elections in
UP, a major chunk of the Muslim population had deserted the Samajwadi Party and
sent 22 Congress MLAs to the House. The controversial issue of Muslim reservation
has been in constant limelight with the Congress leaders continuously indicating
that the government was serious about the issue.
Courtesy: The Tribune
