HRD to implement 10% quota for general category sans funds

New Delhi: The government's decision to implement 10 per cent reservation for economically weaker sections of the general category may cost dearer to the public institutions as the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry has put on hold the fund allocation procedure to higher institutions for meeting the expenses to be incurred in implementing the quota.

The HRD Ministry's proposal to provide financial assistance of about Rs 4,000 crore has been stuck in the model code of conduct. As per official sources, the ministry in its communication with institutions has stated that the proposal would be approved only after the formation of the government and till then the institutions would have to bear the additional expenditure of their own.

Citing the enforcement of model code of conduct due to ongoing general elections in the country, sources in the HRD Ministry said, "Given the value of the amount, the Election Commission is reluctant in approving the proposal."

The sources further that the EC is reluctant in permitting the HRD ministry to provide funds to institutions as the proposal has not been passed by the Cabinet. The sources also said that institutions would have to implement the quota without any dedicated funds for it.

In January, the government had allowed a reservation of 10 per cent for poor people in educational institutions and government jobs. Soon after the decision, the HRD Ministry had announced that it would increase 25 per cent seats in all higher education institutions to accommodate the beneficiaries of 10 per cent quota to poor upper caste without disturbing seat share of other reserved categories.

The HRD Ministry had also sought details from higher institutions about the financial burden on them for increasing 25 per cent seats. As per the HRD officials, all higher institutions, including IITs, IIMs, Central universities, NITs, IISER, had sought Rs 5,676 crore financial support for creating 2.15 lakh additional seats.