Quota conundrum leaves IIM-Ahmedabad confused

By IANS

Ahmedabad : The Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) remains confused over the implementation of the 27 percent reservation for other backward classes (OBCs) in the coming academic session, as it is yet to receive any direction from the central government.


Support TwoCircles

“No communication has so far been received from the human resource development (HRD) ministry,” IIM-A director Samir Barua told IANS Saturday.

Barua said the Supreme Court judgement in this regards earlier this week “lacks clarity”.

“We will have to wait and see,” he said.

The Supreme Court Thursday upheld the reservation law providing 27 percent quota for OBCs in government institutions of higher learning. Though the court order has no specific reference to the IIMs, it says that graduates cannot be treated as educationally backward.

This creates confusion that while institutes like the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) are bound to implement the quota, IIMs may not be included in the quota purview.

Asked whether the directors of the six IIMs will meet next week to discuss the matter, Barua said the one week period, announced earlier, was “only our assessment. Let us wait for the clarity” of the judgment.

The IIMs also face a dilemma of announcing a revised list of candidates after incorporating the 27 percent quota for the OBC candidates. The IIMs deferred their admission list, due on April 11, after the Supreme Court verdict.

HRD Minister Arjun Singh said Friday that the 27 percent reservation for OBCs would have to be implemented in the IITs and IIMs and there was “no confusion” about the issue.

SUPPORT TWOCIRCLES HELP SUPPORT INDEPENDENT AND NON-PROFIT MEDIA. DONATE HERE