Minority scholarships see a 14-fold increase in applications

AS India debates the question and methods — of minority uplift and integration with the mainstream, there are indications that within the communities at least, the spirit is willing. In what must appear as a clear sign of aspiration and desire to move ahead, candidates from minority communities have applied in overwhelming numbers for educational scholarships offered by the central government this year.

The UPA Government instituted pre-matriculation, post-matriculation and merit-cum-means scholarships for minorities (Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis among others) last year. Following widespread advertising in print, broadcast and Internet media, the scholarships drew around 3.5 lakh applications in 2007-’08. This year, the number has jumped a staggering 14-fold to nearly half a crore applications.

The scholarships, meant for meritorious minority students lacking financial means, are offered in all states, allocations being proportionate to the minority population.

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Rush to open IITs is a disaster: Prime Minister Science Advisor

In its hurry to boost higher education before elections, the Centre has pushed through six new IITs, setting up some in infrastructure challenged temporary campuses, and packing others into existing IIT complexes. It is a “disastrous” move, feels Prof C N R Rao, head of the Prime Minister’s Scientific Advisory Council.

“There was no proper discussion on this issue. Things could have been planned better. It took over 50 years to make IITs what they are today. After all it’s not like opening primary schools. These are institutes of excellence that have international standing. I am very upset that eight new IITs have been announced for implementation at one go. In July, I had written to the PM as well as the HRD Ministry and have made my views known to the PM when I met him later,” Rao said. He added that the move would bring down the brand value of the IITs.

Of the eight new IITs, six have started functioning in the current academic session in Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Orissa, Gujarat and Punjab. For the time being, IIT Rajasthan, Punjab and Orissa will operate from existing IIT campuses in Kanpur, Delhi and Mumbai. IIT Patna and IIT Gandhinagar will function out of temporary campuses.

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OBC quotas in, OBC well-off out

Almost three decades after the Mandal Commission report on affirmative action called for it, the Supreme Court, in a landmark ruling today, up- held the UPRs law providing 27 per cent quota for OBCs in IITs, IIMs and other Central educational institutions but said it would not apply to the "creamy layer".

Headed by Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan, the fivejudge Constitution Bench unanimously ruled in the Ashoka Kumar Thakur versus Union of lndia case that the "creamy layer" must be excluded from the socially and educationally backward classes (SEBCs) and continuance of quota under the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act, 2006 should be periodically reviewed after five years.

The Bench upheld the validity of the Constitution (93rd Amendment) Act 2005, empowering the Centre to come out with the special law for OBC quota in institutions of higher learning. With today's order, reservation in these institutions will go up to 49.5 per cent.

Members of the Bench, which delivered four separate judgements, were unanimous that the 93rd Amendment and the 2006 legislation providing for the quota were "not violative of the basic structure of the Constitution".

The only divergent view was on the constitutional validity of the 93rd Amendment in the case of private unaided institutions. Four judges left the issue open since none of those institutions had approached the court. But Justice Dalveer Bhandari that "imposing reservation on unaided institutions violates the basic structure by stripping

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Financial year ends in three Years, Arjun wants Government to release Rs 867 crore today

Despite opposition by Finance Minister P Chidambaram and a Supreme Court stay on more quota in higher education institutions, Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh wants the Cabinet to release Rs 867 crore at the fag end of the fiscal year.

With three days left for the fiscal year to come to a close, Arjun Singh has insisted that the money be released in the current financial year so that IITs and medical institutes can be expanded as promised in the 2007-08 Budget.

This is despite a "strong rebuttal" by the Finance Ministry which said that it did not have money to spare during the current fiscal ending March 31. It also said that any approval would violate the fiscal prudence norms (to rein in expenditure) that were circulated to all ministries last November.

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