The decision in this regard will be taken by Union Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani after the final draft of the proposal gets Cabinet nod, which is expected by the end of August.
According to ministry sources, Irani gave her approval to raise MP quota to 10 in KVs after persistent demand from the members of both the Houses — Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha.
“The process is in <g data-gr-id="43">final</g> stage as the draft has been prepared and ready to be tabled in any cabinet meeting soon after the Monsoon session of Parliament,” an official of HRD Ministry said. According to the new proposal, MPs, including the nominated members, can avail the quota and recommend admissions which will be over and above the sanctioned class strength.
The increase in quota would empower the MPs to recommend 3,160 more seats apart from the existing share of 4,740 seats for their constituency members across the country. The 245 members of the Rajya Sabha would be entitled to recommend 980 more admissions apart from its existing 1,470, while 545 Lok Sabha members would get the authority to endorse 2,180 more admissions apart from its existing 3,270 in central schools.
The total numbers of seats to be recommended for admission by MPs would be 7,900 in 1,090 KV schools in different parts of the country. The MPs were entitled to recommend only six admissions to KVs after the then HRD Minister Kapil <g data-gr-id="38">Saibal</g> had raised the quota from two to six in 2012.
Sources in the ministry said that under the new scheme, the jurisdiction of Lok Sabha MPs will be limited to their constituency, while Rajya Sabha MPs, however, can recommend admissions across the state. For the nominated MPs, it is a win-win situation as they can recommend admissions to KVs across the country. “Since there are about 140 constituencies in the country which don’t have KVs, these MPs can recommend admissions in <g data-gr-id="44">neighbouring</g> constituencies,” an HRD official said.
There are 1,090 KVs catering to around 11.21 lakh students across India. The 545 Lok Sabha MPs and 245 Rajya Sabha MPs will be benefitted from the scheme by getting 7,900 seats to recommend people of their constituencies.
Till 2010, MPs could nominate only two students in every academic session, but after the Right to Education Act came into force in April 2010, the HRD Ministry scrapped it. However, it was restored in May in view of intense pressure from MPs.