On the stay of OBC reservation in educational institutions

[Statement issued by the Polit Bureau of the CPI (M)]

The stay given by the two-member bench of the Supreme Court on the implementation of 27 per cent reservation for Other Backward Classes in the centrally-run educational institutions is unfortunate.

It may be recalled that on the issue of implementation of the Mandal Commission Report, 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in government jobs was decided. The Supreme Court had upheld the reservation alongwith exclusion of the creamy layer.

What was done for Central government jobs has now been extended to Centrally-sponsored educational institutions by legislation in Parliament.

The judgement has ignored the fact that there are clear-cut lists of Other Backward Classes in all the states. It is on this basis that there is already reservation for OBCs in educational institutions in many states.

The Polit Bureau calls upon the government to take all necessary steps to ensure  that the Parliament legislation gets implemented.