New Delhi, July 22: The Supreme Court today said the purpose of the reservation for OBCs in central educational institutions was to ensure that they get 27 per cent “solid” quota to enable them to “catch up” with candidates of general category over a period of time.
“What is given (in the law) is 27 per cent solid,” a Bench comprising justices R V Raveendran and A K Patnaik said about the law which had been upheld by a constitution Bench of the apex court on the issue of quota for OBCs.
The remarks were made by the Bench which also raised questions on various facets of the quota law and put a poser to the contesting parties that “can we take that those OBCs qualifying under the open category will also be covered within the 27 per cent”.
It said all these facets need to be dealt with as “the purpose of the legislation is that sufficient number of them (OBCs) take the benefit”.
The court, which is hearing a petition pointing out the confusion on the cut-off marks adopted by universities for admission of OBC candidates, said “what we are worried about is that cut-off has been used in a loose manner”.
Senior advocate K K Venugopal, appearing for former Director of IIT, Chennai, P V Indiresan, submitted cut-off marks for OBC candidates cannot be less than 10 per cent of the marks on which a candidate from general category is admitted.
–Agencies–