New Delhi, January 6
The Cabinet today decided to empower the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions to identify those minority institutions, which would be outside the purview of the reservation of SC/SCs and OBCs in educational institutions.

The ordinance the Cabinet decided to promulgate would enable exemption to only eligible minority educational institutions from reservation as envisaged in the Constitutional Amendment Bill passed by Parliament in the Winter Session.

Briefing newspersons after the meeting, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said the Cabinet approved the promulgation of the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (Amendment) Ordinance and replace it by an Act in the coming Budget Session.

In order to exempt eligible minority educational institutions, it had become necessary to empower the NEMEI with necessary powers through the ordinance.

It would also empower the NEMEI to proceed against those institutions, which were misusing the minority status.

The CCEA also gave its approval to certain minor modifications and additions to its earlier decisions relating to strengthening and development of agricultural education.

These included development and strengthening of state agricultural universities, deemed universities and central universities at a cost of over Rs 500 crore.

Besides, the National Talent Scholarship rates will be increased to Rs 1,000 per month per undergraduate student. There is also provision for support to these institutions for excellence in niche areas.

The Cabinet also approved inclusion and modification of certain castes and communities in the central list of Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

The new communities which have been included are located in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Pondicherry and Uttar Pradesh, Mr Mukherjee said.

The new additions, which do not belong to the creamy layer, would get the benefit of reservation in direct recruitment in civil services and posts under the Central government, he said.