Largely positive reactions to OBC verdict

Largely positive reactions to OBC verdict Hailing the Supreme Court decision upholding 27 per cent OBC quota in elite educational institutions, several organisations today said the weaker sections of society will now have access to higher education.The Supreme Courthas cleared the decks for implementation of 27 per cent quota for OBCs in Centrally run institutions of higher education and upheld the constitutional validity of the 93rd Constitutional Amendment. The Commission for OBC, Democratic Teachers' Front, the Progressive Medicos and Scientists Forum, All India United Muslim Morcha, the Delhi National Panthers' Party and the Indian Justice Party all welcomed the decision.OBC Chairman Chatter Singh said the judgement was long awaited and it is a step towards the welfare of the backward classes."The step will boost employment opportunity for OBC community and also help them to uplift," he added.The DTF also hailed the decision to keep the creamy layer within the OBC out of the ambit of reservation.It demanded that the Government put in place necessary infrastructure and provide for more teachers and non-teaching staff in proportion to the ensuing expansion in intake. A five judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan upheld the validity of the act by a majority of 4:1 with Justice Dalveer Bhandari dissenting.The apex court also ruled that if the basis of reservation is caste, the creamy layer among these castes must be excluded from the benefits of reservation policy. Other judges on the bench are Justices Arijit Pasayat, C K Thakkar and R V Raveendran. Arjun Singh, Lalu say verdict is "historic" Union Human Resource Development Minister Minister Arjun Singh today described the Supreme Court judgement upholding 27 per cent quota for OBC students in higher education institutions, including IITs and IIMs, as a vindication of his and the UPA government's stand and said the Government would like to see its implementation from the coming academic session. Railway Minister Lalu Prasad said, "The momentous verdict is a slap on the face of the BJP, which has been indirectly supporting those who have challenged the validity of the 93rd amendment of the constitution in the court."A five-judge Constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan, upheld the validity of the act by a majority of 4:1 with Justice Dalveer Bhandari dissenting.The apex court also ruled that if the basis of reservation is caste, the creamy layer among these castes must be excluded from the benefits of reservation policy. "It is ludicrous to contend that merit is a preprogative of the upper castes. There are meritorious students in the SC, ST and OBC categories, and they need all kinds of encouragement," he argued."The historic verdict is a testimony to the fact that judiciary, democracy and Constitution are alive in the country and it will give an impetus to those who have been marginalised in the development process." The RJD president said the Supreme Court had delivered a similar judgement in the Mandal Commission case and its ruling in the present case was almost similar."I welcome the judgement, and those who are opposed to the reservation should also welcome it because the ruling has come from the paramount court of the country," he said. BJP demands extension of quotas to minority institutions Welcoming the judgment of Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court upholding 27 per cent reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs), the BJP today said the minority institutions too should extend reservation benefits to these sections. BJP spokesman Ravishankar Prasad said benefits of reservation for the OBCs should be extended by the minority institutions who vehemently argued for giving reservation to for Dalit Christians and Muslim themselves, did not want to give quota benefits to the OBCs in institutions managed by them. The Mandal Commission, which went into the issue of backwardness among the Muslims had found that backward sections did exist in the Muslim and Christian society and had recommended reservation. Strangely these communities did not accept the Mandal report although they posed as if they championed for the cause of Dalit Christians and Muslims, he said. Mr Ravishankar Prasad said the party would be giving a detailed and structured response on the issue at the same time it expected a formal reaction from the Centre on the issue.

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