The Union Cabinet today approved a Bill to provide 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in higher education institutions, rejecting the Parliamentary Standing Committee’s recommendation that the creamy layer be excluded.

The Bill will be introduced in Parliament during this session. It retains the same framework as the one introduced in the monsoon session.

After the Cabinet meeting, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi said: “The Standing Committee had some special views, but the Cabinet has decided to stick to the original bill. There is no concept of creamy layer in the OBC quota Bill.”

Sources in the HRD Ministry said OBC Muslims too would get the quota benefit. Minority institutions will remain out of the Bill’s ambit.

By not differentiating between haves and have-nots within the OBCs, the Cabinet has let the will of HRD Minister Arjun Singh and other quota votaries like Lalu Prasad Yadav, Ram Vilas Paswan, Anbumani Ramadoss, and Dayanidhi Maran prevail.

These ministers are believed to have argued in favour of reservations for the creamy layer too, despite the Standing Committee’s recommendations that preference be given to the non-creamy layer. It said only if OBC seats remain vacant, should the creamy layer be allowed to take them.

Once the Bill is passed, higher education institutions will have to implement reservations for OBCs from the next academic year. However, the roadmap for implementation will be along the lines suggested by the Moily panel, which says a staggered approach will allow Central universities, IIMs, IITs, medical and agricultural colleges time to expand intake by up to 54 per cent.

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