Twelve years after a city based NGO had challenged the 5% management quota reservation in the state’s junior colleges, the Bombay high court on Wednesday finally heard the public interest litigation.
Twelve years after a city based NGO had challenged the 5% management quota reservation in the state’s junior colleges, the Bombay high court (HC) on Wednesday finally heard the public interest litigation (PIL). Hearing the submissions made by Bhagwanji Raiyani, member of the NGO — Forum for Fairness in Education — the division bench of Justice FI Rebello and Justice RV More said, “Look at the other side, the people who have established (these) institutions. If 5% seats are reserved for the management, what is wrong in it?”
While making oral observations, the judges added: “Money to these institutions comes from the state ex-chequer. The state and central government are funding education in the country. It’s not a management policy to reserve 5% seats for management quota, but a government policy.”
The NGO had in 1997 moved HC, challenging a government resolution (GR) dated June 26, 1997, which allowed various quotas in junior colleges across the state. Through the GR, government had allotted 5% seats for management quota, 5% for children of government employees and transferred employees, 3% for physically handicapped students, 5% for children of freedom fighters, and 2% for students participating in sports and cultural activities. Over and above these, there was the 50% minority students (on the basis of language and religion) quota.
The government has, in the last 12 years, time and again justified the quota system. However, Raiyani had argued that the freedom fighters’ quota did not make any sense, as most children and grandchildren of freedom fighters were too old to study in junior colleges. Another point of contention for Raiyani was that minority students are allowed to seek admission in open category even while they have a 50% reservation.
The next hearing of the PIL will now happen at the high court on June 16.
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