Quota Bill may be tabled in Parliament

The Bill for implementing reservation for Other Backward Classes in higher educational institutions may be introduced in the current session of Parliament, the government told the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

In a written reply to the House, Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh said the proposed legislation would be in pursuance of the Constitution (93rd Amendment Act, 2005), which enables the legislature to make law for advancement of weaker sections in matters of admission to all educational institutions, except minority institutions.

This law had already come into force on January 20 last, he pointed out.

"A draft legislation in pursuance of the above amendment is under preparation and is expected to be ready for introduction during the current session of Parliament," he said.

Meanwhile, the Oversight Committee set up by the government for preparing a road map for introducing quota for the OBC has its interim report ready to be submitted to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the next few days.

The report was approved by the Oversight Committee, headed by former Karnataka chief Minister Veerappa Moily, in its meeting in New Delhi on Monday. The committee, formed after countrywide protests against the move announced by the HRD minister, will suggest ways to accommodate OBCs without harming the interest of general category students.