With the Supreme Court advancing hearing on the quota law to May 8, the Government and its allies today unanimously agreed to let IIMs, IITs and and other Central higher education institutions release the general category admission lists while putting on hold the list of quota candidates till the matter is sorted out in court.

This decision was taken at a meeting convened by Union HRD Minister Arjun Singh and was attended by Law Minister H R Bhardwaj and representatives of the allies. Fresh directions to the institutions will be sent tomorrow or latest Monday, ending uncertainty among students and teachers alike.

Earlier today, UPA allies called for urgent steps, ranging from a joint session of Parliament to amending the Constitution, to implement 27 per cent OBC reservation from this academic year itself.

But by evening, even the UPA’s southern allies, who have been very vocal in protesting the Supreme Court stay on the quota law, fell in line. They all agreed with the Government that the “legal procedure” had to be followed while “political issues” could be brought to the court’s notice.

Under the Centre’s formula, 1,24,377 general and SC and ST candidates would be offered admissions while 12,216 quota seats under the expansion programme would be filled after the Supreme Court decision.

Arjun Singh briefed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after the meeting with leaders of the UPA and Left. But the Left parties told the Government to think of an option in case the stay on the quota law is not lifted. CPM’s Sitaram Yechury said though the Government was confident that the stay would be vacated, it should be prepared with a fall-back option like “another legislation” or “another amendment” to the Constitution.

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