'Funds not used fully in educational institutions for OBC reservation'

NEW DELHI: A Parliamentary committee has expressed anguish at the underutilisation of central funds to educational institutions to upgrade infrastructure in order to facilitate implementation of reservation policy for OBC students.

The Committee on Other Backward Classes which submitted its report in Lok Sabha today on measures undertaken to secure representation of OBCs in universities and other higher educational institutions, said many universities are "lagging far behind" the prescribed percentage of reservation in admission of OBC students.

"The Committee is anguished to note that the additional grant given by the HRD Ministry to central educational institutions to upgrade infrastructure to facilitate the implementation of OBC reservation has not been fully utilised," it pointed out.

The Committee said despite an Act of Parliament, representation of OBC students in central educational institutions, including central universities and technical institutions such as IITs, NITs is "still far from satisfactory".

Law provides for 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in central educational institutions.

On the issue of reservation for OBCs in faculty, the panel said it is "deeply concerned" to note gross violation of government orders regarding reservation for OBCs in recruitment of faculty.

"The committee deprecate lackadaisical approach of the HRD Ministry and the UGC on the issue as they have failed to take concrete remedial steps to ensure that the requisite quota of 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in faculty is fulfilled by central educational institutions," it said.