17 May 2006
On Reservation in Educational Institutions
1. The Constitutional provision of reservation for socially and
economically backward classes is meant to provide access to education and jobs
for the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other backward classes.
This
provision for reservation is a
partial acknowledgement of the inequities
of the caste system and the discrimination and deprivation that it entailed for
centuries in Indian society.
The
CPI(M) has viewed such reservation as a limited step to provide opportunities
for the dalits, adivasis and other backward
classes to acquire education and jobs. At
the same time, the CPI(M) has stressed that there can be no emancipation without
basic land reforms and changes in the socio-economic system which breed
exploitation and inequality.
2.
Extension for OBC reservation to education is based on the same
principle as its application to jobs.
The CPI(M) supports reservation in higher educational institutions for
SC, ST and OBC. The state
governments are to decide the quantum of reservation in the institutions run by
them. In higher education, since
there is a scarcity of seats, especially in professional institutions,
reservation should be accompanied by a commensurate increase in the number of seats in the institutions run or aided by the Central government.
According
to the UGC Chairman, there was provision for an increase of 10 per cent annually
in the seats in colleges for which financial allocations have been made in the
tenth five year plan.
3. While the CPI(M) is for reservation, it has maintained that
distinct from the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, there is
differentiation among the other backward classes. Reservation should benefit the poorer and needy sections
among these communities. For this,
there has to be a socio-economic criteria which excludes the affluent and those
already having access to jobs and higher education.
This came to be known as exclusion of the “Creamy Layer” based on the
Supreme Court judgement on the implementation of the Mandal
Commission report.
4. While expanding the seats in educational institutions,
students coming from weak and
poorer background and who do not come in the reservation categories should also
be provided for through a separate allocation of seats.
5. The government of
India should prepare a proposal which should be put for a public debate, so that
the widest agreement is reached before it is taken up for implementation.
6. Alongwith this, the government should immediately prepare a
legislation for regulating all
private higher educational institutions.
The legislation should enable state
governments to regulate admission and fees in all private higher educational
institutions which are aided or unaided. The
crass commercialisation of higher education
has closed the doors for a large number of deserving students
irrespective of their background and even when they have the necessary
qualifications and merit. Social
control of the burgeoning “educational industry” is an urgent necessity.
