M A I N   N E W S

DMK favours law on quota system
Arup Chanda
Tribune News Service

Chennai, August 14
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led Democratic Progressive Alliance in Tamil Nadu is against the latest Supreme Court judgement abolishing the concept of any government quota in private, unaided professional colleges in the country and banning community reservations in such institutions.

The DMK, a leading constituent of the Central Government, and its allies has called for an amendment in the Constitution to offset the implications of the verdict and protect the existing quota for Backward Classes, SCs and STs in these institutions.

Tamil Nadu is one of the states which pioneered affirmative action for Backward Classes through reservations.

The DPA has passed a resolution urging the Central Government to suitably amend the Constitution to ensure continuance of the present reservation system in self-financing colleges. Tamil Nadu has a total of 69 per cent reservation based on castes. While 30 per cent of the total seats are for backward castes, 20 per cent are for most backward castes, 18 per cent for SCs and 1 per cent for Scheduled Tribes respectively.