4% minorities quota may kick in from January 1

NEW DELHI: The government is likely to announce a sub-quota of 4% for minorities within the 27% reservation meant for OBCs, in what is being seen as a major political initiative ahead of the Uttar Pradesh polls.

According to a note for the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs prepared by the ministry of minority affairs, reservation in government jobs and admission to central educational institutions for minorities would be carried out through an executive order to be effective from January 1, 2012.

Sources said a meeting of the Union Cabinet is expected to be called ahead of Election Commission's announcement of the schedule for polls in UP and four other states. There are indications that the EC may announce the schedule in the next couple of days. The idea is to announce the measure before the model code of conduct kicks in.

Although the measure will not be limited to Muslims alone but will include all minority groups listed in the central list of OBCs, it could help Congress earn brownie points with the largest of them. An important chunk of the UP electorate, Muslims were an important factor behind the impressive performance Congress pulled off in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections in UP when it bagged 21 seats.

For the assembly elections, the party has been locked in a fierce competition with Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party for the Muslim vote, and a 'minority quota' may give it an edge.

'Quota based on Mandal formula'

Explaining the method of calculating 4% sub-quota for Muslims, the ministry of minority affairs note says that according to the Mandal Commission, 52% of the country's population is OBCs. That includes 8.4% non-Hindus, who can be taken as minorities.

"Therefore, out of the 27% reservation for OBCs, the minorities (non-Hindu communities) pro-rata should have been 4.36% [(27/52) x 8.4]. But the ministry argued that since the final figures of 2011 census have not come yet, as an interim measure 4% sub-quota for minorities be notified but excluding the creamy layer."

Explaining the rationale for creating 4% sub-quota, the Cabinet note says there has been a long-standing demand of religious minorities that a separate quota be created for them out of 27% reservation for OBCs. The note also refers to the Sachar Committee's comment that Muslims are among the most backward communities in the country and deserve special attention.

Even the National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities, the note says, has recommended a separate quota for religious minorities. The ministry also cited the Supreme Court's judgment in the Indra Sawhney case to justify its move for sub-categorization among OBCs. The SC had said that though SCs and STs were included in the expression "backward class of citizens", the logic behind separate reservation is that if SC/STs and OBCs are lumped together, "OBCs will take away all the vacancies leaving SCs and STs high and dry".