Government sources said that HRD Minister Arjun Singh had asked for inclusion of “The Unaided Private Educational Institutions (Reservation of seats in admission and regulation of admission and fee) Bill, 2007” in the agenda for the session starting Monday.

In fact, Arjun Singh hinted at this “development” today when he said, “We are ready with a new Bill for OBC quota in unaided institutions.” But he did not elaborate.

Earlier in the day, declining the Centre’s plea to vacate the stay on quota in higher education institutions, a five-judge Bench, headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan, said, “In this situation, we are not interfering with the interim order of the Division Bench.” The Bench said that hearing on the main petitions challenging the legality of the Act would begin now.

In March, the Division Bench of Justice Arijit Pasayat, who is now part of the Constitution Bench, and Justice L S Panta had ordered a stay on 27 per cent OBC quota from this year.

The five-judge Bench did not accept Solicitor General G E Vahanvati’s submission that the Government may be allowed to implement quota for seats approved by the competent authority in many institutes. It also did not yield to the Government suggestion that quota may be allowed by excluding the creamy layer.

Though this was the third time the court declined to lift the stay, Arjun Singh maintained it was “not a setback”. “At every stage, we were eager to get the matter resolved. Now, we will see what can be done,” he said.

To a question on whether the Centre would make a fresh plea for early resolution of the matter in court, Singh said: “Why should we anticipate that it will take that long? I don’t think it will take that long. I am quite sure there may be a judgment.”