No review of OBC reservation, says Moily panel member

NEW DELHI, SEPT 28: Fissures within the oversight committee on quota
appear to have cropped up with a senior panel member questioning
chairman Veerappa Moily's assertion that the committee had recommended
a periodic review of the quota policy.
Planning Commission member BL Mungekar, senior member of the quota
panel, on Thursday maintained that the panel had only recommended a
review of the implementation, not the policy itself.


Briefing newspersons after an eight-hour long final meeting of the
committee on Wednesday, Moily had said they have recommended the
government review the quota policy every five to ten years.

Correcting Moily's assertions, Mungekar on Thursday told FE the
committee had only recommended a yearly review of the implementation.
"Media reports that we recommended a review of the policy are
incorrect. We want the government to make sure that institutions
implement the quota as per directions," Mungekar said.

The panel, significantly, has decided not to make any mention of
creamy layer as demanded by some parties. Tamil parties such as DMK
and PMK were against including the creamy layer criterion in the quota
structure. The PMK had even issued a "fatwa" against Moily entering
Tamil Nadu, if he dissallowed rich OBCs from getting reservation
benefits.

"Creamy layer was never under the purview of our committee. The panel
unanimously decided not mention it. Reports that I objected are
wrong," Mungekar said.

Mungekar, refuting reports that he had questioned giving autonomy to
higher education institutions, said "We cannot avoid introducing
changes with respect to autonomy in the higher education sector. The
issue, however, should be first discussed and debated," Mungekar told
FE.

To buttress his argument, he said that during his term as vice
chancellor of Mumbai University he had granted autonomy to two premier
institutes. "I favour giving autonomy to these institutes," he said.

Mungekar added that there was a consensus that issues not part of the
committee's terms of reference should be avoided. "We did not suggest
a view on creamy layer and quota in private educational institutes."