To offset the impact of 27 per cent OBC reservation in premier higher education institutions, the Veerappa Moily Oversight Committee, in its final report, has suggested a review of quota policy after five or ten years, increase in seats within three years, public-private partnerships for new IIMs, IITs, medical and agricultural colleges and scholarships to OBC students from Standard IX onward.

The committee has refused to tread on the contentious creamy layer issue. “We have left it for the government to decide,” panel chairman Moily said today. The committee has also not ventured into the question of unaided institutions, saying these were “out of the Oversight Committee’s ambit”.

The report was finalized after an eight-hour meeting of the Oversight Committee at the Vigyan Bhawan Annexe in New Delhi. It is expected to be submitted to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by the end of this week.

After the meeting, Moily said: “The committee has sealed the debate on phasing out, and it has decided all institutions must expand within three years.” He said certain institutions like IIM-A and IIM-Indore had asked for more time — four years — to complete the expansion, but the Oversight panel decided to rule out that option.

Admitting that while “very few” institutions will be able to expand in one year, most like the NITs (National Institutes of Technology) will be able to expand in two years. And most IIMs and IITs will take three years to expand.

In order to increase 54 pc seats in all these educational institutions, the panel, he said, has opted for the formula of 18 pc increase each year: “So, it will be 18 pc in first year, next 18 in the second and remaining 18 in the third year.”

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