Centre likely to approach SC over OBC quota

NEW DELHI: In Its efforts to get out of the logjam over the quota for OBCs, the government may approach the Supreme Court for vacation of its stay on the reservations in elite educational institutions and possibly for a reference of the matter to a larger constitutional bench.

Such a line of action appears to have emerged in the continuing discussions the government held on Sunday with legal experts, with Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium meeting human resource development minister Arjun Singh for talks on the issue that lasted over an hour. Though there was no official word on the discussions, sources said the government was ‘anxious’ for a solution. “Consultations are on...the government is looking at various matters and is anxious for a solution,” a source said.

Mr Singh had said on Saturday that the government will take all constitutional measures to get the Supreme Court stay on the 27% quota for OBCs in elite educational institutions vacated.
“The Supreme Court has not rejected anything...We will take all constitutional measures to vacate the stay,” he had said.

The senior leader had also made it clear that the Congress-led coalition did not want any confrontation with the apex court and it was the right of the court to interpret the law.

Making clear the government’s intention to provide equity in access to higher education, he said an all-party meeting would be convened by the prime minister after the Saarc summit to deliberate on the pros and cons of the issue. “Unless all parties are on board, nothing can be done,” he said.