Stress on a transparent process and proper allocation of budget for the purpose
NEW DELHI — Raising the bar for social justice, the Congress has called on the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre to promptly put Article 15(5) of the Constitution into effect, which grants reservations to SC, ST, and OBC students attending private schools. In addition, the party called for the 50% reservation cap to be lifted.
Addressing a press conference here on Monday, Dr Anil JaiHind, Rajesh Lilothia and Dr Vikrant Bhuria, Chairpersons of the OBC, SC and ST departments at the AICC, also demanded a timeline for carrying out the caste census in the country.
Dr JaiHind made a startling revelation, stating that private institutions had challenged the UPA government’s implementation of Article 15(5), which mandated reservations for Dalits, Adivasis, and socially and educationally backward classes in educational institutions through the 93rd Amendment.
Article 15(5) enables the states to make special provision for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes, scheduled caste, scheduled tribes in educational institutions, including private institutions, whether aided or unaided, except minority educational institutes.
In January 2014, it was clarified that the government could indeed extend reservations to these groups in private institutions, but the Narendra Modi government “failed to frame the necessary law to implement it, even after 11 years” in power.
Dr JaiHind urged the government to implement the provision to extend the benefit of reservations in private educational institutions to SC, ST, and OBC students. He said it would benefit students from a population of about 100 crores, consisting of SCs, STs, and OBCs in the country.
Speaking on the occasion, Rajesh Lilothia said the announcement to carry out the caste census was historic, as it was Rahul Gandhi who had forced the BJP government to do it. He pointed out how the BJP leadership, from the prime minister downwards, opposed and ridiculed the idea. He announced that the next step will be a removal of the 50 percent cap on reservations, saying, “Not 50 percent cap, but 100 percent social justice.”
Lilothia pointed out that the Supreme Court had allowed 10 percent reservation over and above the 50 percent cap for the economically weaker sections from the general categories and added that it could be done the same way for the SCs, STs and the OBCs.
Dr Bhuria quoted Mahatma Gandhi, saying, “First they will ignore you, then they will laugh at you, then they will fight you, then you will win.” He said the same thing had happened about the caste census, as the BJP leaders first opposed and ridiculed the idea and now had decided to go ahead with it. He demanded a proper timeline for carrying out and completing the caste census with a transparent process and proper allocation of budget for the purpose.
