OBC quota row: HC seeks DU reply to plea of minority institutions

The Delhi High Court today asked Delhi University to respond to the plea of four of its colleges, claiming to be minority institutes, that they be exempted from giving 27 per cent reservation to OBCs students in the admission process for the 2012-13 academic year.

"Let the DU file a short reply by June 25," a vacation bench of justices Veena Birbal and Manmohan Singh said.

The four minority institutions, in the petition, also sought permission to continue with the admission process, beginning from June 26.

SGTB Khalsa College, Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa College, Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce and Mata Sundari College for Women had approached the court seeking exemption from the stipulated 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in institutions of higher learning.

Senior advocate K T S Tulsi, appearing for the colleges, sought directions from the court permitting them to continue with the admission for this academic year without giving OBCs reservation, as was being done by them till now.

Tulsi argued that the admission process will begin from June 26 when the first cut-off list will be announced and it would end on July 12.

"As per the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI), these four colleges come under the category of minority institutes, which have been exempted by the Supreme Court from the OBC reservation," he said.

Challenging the May 29 order of the single bench, Tulsi said the court had directed the colleges to abide by the directions of the University, asking them to implement 27 per cent reservation policy by admit students belonging to SC, ST and OBC categories.

He said that the order was "in complete ignorance and disregard to provisions enshrined under Article 15(4), 15(5) and 30(1) of the Constitution.

"The reservation policy was not only contrary to the Constitution of India but also against the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admissions) Act 2006."

... contd.

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