Its law stayed by the Supreme Court, the Government hasn’t been able to implement 27% OBC quotas in its higher-education institutions, including IITs and IIMs. Its law on OBC quotas for private institutions is also on hold pending the court’s decision. And yet a private university has gone ahead and implemented the quota plan from this academic year itself, showing the way to voluntary affirmative action.

Officials at the Symbiosis International University, spread over seven campuses in Pune and recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC) as a deemed university, are working overtime to admit what will be the nation’s first batch of students admitted under OBC reservation beginning the first week of June.

The 27% quota will be implemented over the next three years: 7 per cent in the first year (2007-08), taking it up to 13 per cent in the next year (2008-09), and reaching the 27 per cent target in the third year (2009-10). The roadmap is similar to what the Veerappa Moily Oversight Committee had recommended for the Central government-aided higher educational institutions, like the IITs, IIMs and Central universities.

The Symbiosis International University’s 15 institutions offer a host of management programmes, both at the postgraduate and the undergraduate level. These management programmes include MBA, BBA, Operations Management, Telecom management, International business management. Besides, they also have law courses: BA LL.B, BBA LL.B and LL.M as well.

The PG programmes have a current intake of 1,687 seats and UG programmes have 1,680 seats, so put together, the university has a current intake of 3,367 students. With seven per cent OBC quotas in the first academic year, the university will admit 235 OBC students, over and above the 3,367 seats. This will swell the university’s intake for this academic year to 3,602 students.

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