The report assumes significance ahead of Bihar assembly elections as the Opposition will use it to the hilt to target BJP’S pro-upper caste image
NEW DELHI — The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, headed by Congress MP Digvijaya Singh, has recommended reservations for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in private higher educational institutions (HEIs).
The committee’s report, tabled in Parliament on Wednesday, noted that Article 15(5) of the Constitution — inserted through the 93rd amendment in 2006 by the UPA government — empowers the government to mandate such reservations. The Supreme Court had upheld the validity of this provision in Pramati Educational and Cultural Trust vs Union of India (2014) case.
However, the panel pointed out that no law currently exists to enforce Article 15(5). It cited “abysmally low” representation of marginalised groups in private institutions, including three government-recognised institutions of eminence: SC students 0.89%, STs 0.53% and OBCs 11.16%.
To address this gap, the committee unanimously recommended statutory quotas — 15% for SCs, 7.5% for STs, and 27% for OBCs — in private HEIs.
Reacting to the report, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said, “It is no longer possible to ignore the legitimate demand of SC, ST, and OBC communities.” He reminded that the Congress party had promised such legislation in its 2024 Nyay Patra manifesto.
“The ball is now in the (Narendra) Modi government’s court,” Ramesh added, urging immediate action.
Observers say the report assumes significance ahead of Bihar assembly elections as the Opposition will use it to the hilt to target BJP’S pro-upper caste image.
