200 schools to be set up for SC/ST students

NEW DELHI: The paucity of funds for education has not deterred the government from furthering the agenda of increasing equity and access to education for the marginalised. The government has proposed setting up 200 secondary schools for SC/ST students. In the 2007 Budget, some Rs 175 crore will be earmarked for this expansion programme.

The proposed schools will be part of the Navodaya Vidyalaya set up. These schools will be established in districts with a high population of SCs and STs. In order to improve access for students from these backward communities, 50% of seats will be reserved for SCs/STs depending on which of the two is numerically dominant in the district.

The remaining 50% of the seats will be filled by general category students and SCs/STs. The reservation quota will be followed as well. In other words, in a district which has an overwhelming SC population, the Navodaya Vidyalaya will reserve 50% seats for SCs. For the remaining 50%, 7.5% seats will be set aside for STs. No further reservation will be made for SCs. It is not clear, how this proposal will pass muster, as the total percentage of reserved seats will be more than 50% at any given point.

The Supreme Court in its judgement on the Indira Sahwney case set an upper limit of 50% for reservations. Though the case made references to institutes of higher learning, it is unlikely that things will be different for schools as well.

The task of identifying the districts was undertaken by the Planning Commission that used the 2001 Census data as the basis for identifying the 200 districts, which will house these schools. Admission to these schools will be undertaken in the same way as it is for other Navodayas. The Planning Commission has been in favour of expanding the Navodaya Vidyalaya network.