New Delhi, December 20
The Constitution (104th Amendment) Bill seeking to provide reservation for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in unaided private educational institutions was opposed at the introduction stage itself in the Lok Sabha by the Left parties, the RJD and the BJP today.
Piloted by Union HRD Minister Arjun Singh, the Bill excludes minority educational institutions from its ambit.
Currently, the reservation of seats for SCs, STs and Other Backward Classes in admission to educational institutions is derived from the provisions of Article 15(4) of the Constitution.
The number of seats available in aided or state-maintained institutions, especially in respect of professional education, is limited in comparison to those in private unaided institutions.
The proposed Bill seeks to amplify Article 15 to provide for similar reservation for the SCs, STs and OBCs in unaided educational institutions.
The new clause will enable Parliament as well as state legislatures to make appropriate laws for the purpose, observed the statement of objects and reasons for the Bill.
Mr Arjun Singh said Article 30 (1) provided the right to all minorities to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice and it was essential that such rights were protected.
