IITs to implement OBC reservation from this year

NI Wire

New Delhi

Thu, 17 Apr 2008: 

The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) have decided to go with OBC reservation quota in phased manner from this year. The decision was taken in a board meeting on Wednesday which was attended by the directors of seven IITs, Ministry of HRD and representatives of other premier institutes across thcountry.

The members decided to reserve 9 percent seats to OBC category students from this academic year and subsequently will achieve the full quota of 27% by 2010. While the three IITs proposed in Rajasthan, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh will go with the Supreme Court’s proceeding to reserve 27% seats for OBC and 22.5% seats for SC/ST.

“From the coming academic session onwards, seven IITs shall implement the OBC quota. This year we will reserve 9% for OBCs and the full 27% quota will be achieved in 2010,” said IIT (Delhi) director Prof Surendra Prasad.

“However, those IITs (proposed) will implement the quota in one go. They will have 120 seats each and will implement the reservation for the OBCs, SCs and STs,” he added.

While implementing the reservation the institutions will follow the guidelines of Apex Court and will exclude creamy layer from the reservation scenario. The cutoff has been fixed at 90% of the cutoff for general category students.

Meanwhile, big test lie ahead of the premiere institute which will have to increase the seats as well as maintain the standard of the institutions. Availability of fund is also important to meet the requirements as well as infrastructures.

Prasad said, “We would have preferred it if the new IITs were started next year. We need more teachers and infrastructure. We will require recurring funding from the government to make extra classrooms, laboratories and hostels in the next two years.”

“At present, some IITs have adequate infrastructure to place 13% extra students but others will have to manage. However, we will not compromise on quality,” he added.

It is reported that HRD ministry will issue guidelines to all higher learning centre including IIMs regarding implementation of the quota in few days which will be based on Moilly Recommendations of keeping creamy layer outside the purview of reservation and implementation of the same in phased manner.