The Hindu Business Line : We will have to study stay implications: IIM-A Director

Ahmedabad March 29 The admission of candidates belonging to the Other Backward Castes (OBCs) to elite institutions such as the IIMs and IITs seems to have become uncertain, at least for the time being, in view of the Supreme Court's stay on Thursday on the 27 per cent reservation granted by the Centre last year to OBCs on the basis of the 1931 Census and the Moily Committee Recommendations.

The next hearing in the case in the apex court is scheduled for August this year.

"For now, we are virtually back to the 2006 position in terms of admissions (when 15 per cent seats were reserved for the Scheduled Castes and 7.5 per cent for the Scheduled Tribes only)," Dr Bakul Dholakia, Director, Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIM-A), said.

"In view of the SC stay, we will have to study the implications and the capacity expansion implementation."

He said the IIMs had, following last year's directive from the Union Ministry for Human Resources Development (MHRD), decided to reserve seats in a three-phased manner for the OBCs along with putting in place plans for capacity expansion so that the interests of general category candidates did not suffer. Accordingly, nearly 55 OBC candidates had been issued interview letters, out of which 17 were to be admitted. In the first phase, 6 per cent OBC candidates were to be admitted and 12 per cent capacity expansion (infrastructure development, additional faculty, etc) was planned.

Admission list in April

Altogether 850-odd candidates, including those belonging to the reserved categories, had been issued interview letters for admission to 280 seats at the IIMA. Last year, 250 candidates had been admitted.

"These interviews were completed by March 23 and the admission list will be put out on April 12," he told reporters here. When asked if those being admitted would include the OBCs as well, he said the Institute was awaiting word from the MHRD in this regard.

Replying to questions, he said the IIMs' Common Admission Tests (CAT) Group could also meet before April 12.

"We will be awaiting a final decision by the CAT Group and the MHRD over the issue."

Dr Dholakia pointed out that the capacity expansion plans would stand postponed if the OBCs did not get admission.

The IIM-A Board of Governors, meeting here on March 31, may deliberate these issues as well as any fee hike, he added.

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