'IIMs committed to quota for OBCs'
The government's decision to introduce quota for Other Backward Classes in institutes of higher education from the current academic session had been challenged in court, which has ordered a stay.
By PTI |
NEW DELHI: As the judiciary mulls over reservation for OBCs in IIMs and IITs, a top academician has said the government should let the institutes implement quotas at leisure and that policies to correct inequalities should be targeted at the higher secondary level.
"IIMs and IITs are committed to implement policies related to OBCs... It is not advisable to doubt their commitment... Government should define parameters and leave it to us to implement and achieve them," IIM-Ahmedabad's former Director Bakul H Dholakia said.
The government's decision to introduce quota for Other Backward Classes in institutes of higher education from the current academic session had been challenged in court, which has ordered a stay.
Dholakia's confidence stems from the experience of implementing quotas for other socially underprivileged groups.
"You (government) define the goal and leave it to the institutions to achieve. We have a long history of SCs and STs and we have implemented it," he said, adding that in case of OBCs too, let there be natural progression in implementation.
IIM-Ahmedabad has a need based scholarship, where students belonging to families with annual income of less than Rs two lakh do not have to pay tuition fee. Every year 15-18 per cent of students of each class get this scholarship.
"This is not a loan but a disbursement. I think this is a better way to achieve social goal," he said.
The other thing is that this has been a problem of decades and cannot be solved in a couple of years. Hence, a phased implementation with patience is the answer, he added.
But more important is that resolution of this problem must start from the higher secondary level where there is foundation for higher education.
"IIMs and IITs are committed to implement policies related to OBCs... It is not advisable to doubt their commitment... Government should define parameters and leave it to us to implement and achieve them," IIM-Ahmedabad's former Director Bakul H Dholakia said.
The government's decision to introduce quota for Other Backward Classes in institutes of higher education from the current academic session had been challenged in court, which has ordered a stay.
Dholakia's confidence stems from the experience of implementing quotas for other socially underprivileged groups.
"You (government) define the goal and leave it to the institutions to achieve. We have a long history of SCs and STs and we have implemented it," he said, adding that in case of OBCs too, let there be natural progression in implementation.
IIM-Ahmedabad has a need based scholarship, where students belonging to families with annual income of less than Rs two lakh do not have to pay tuition fee. Every year 15-18 per cent of students of each class get this scholarship.
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"This is not a loan but a disbursement. I think this is a better way to achieve social goal," he said.
The other thing is that this has been a problem of decades and cannot be solved in a couple of years. Hence, a phased implementation with patience is the answer, he added.
But more important is that resolution of this problem must start from the higher secondary level where there is foundation for higher education.
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