The Centre on Thursday added agriculture minister Sharad Pawar and health minister Anbumani Ramadoss to the quota committee.
NEW DELHI: The Centre on Thursday added agriculture minister Sharad Pawar and health minister Anbumani Ramadoss to the quota committee. The panel will help the government to make good its commitment to provide quotas for OBCs without hurting the interests of the upper castes.
Though no time frame has been set for the committee, it is expected to give its report at the earliest, and the Prime Minister is said to be closely involved in its working. The committee is being headed by defence minister Pranab Mukherjee and he has been trying to persuade the agitating medicos to call off their stir.
The process of consulting other political parties will commence on Monday, with the Prime Minister first talking to the UPA constituents and the supporting parties and later with the Opposition parties.
The Congress Working Committee is likely to endorse the proposal to introduce an OBC quota in central educational institutions when it meets on May 20. At the same time, it will emphasise the need to address the concerns of students in the general category with the creation of additional infrastructure in terms of seats, new institutes, faculty, etc.
The proposed CWC resolution is the result of consultations held by Sonia Gandhi on the controversial reservation issue.
It will reflect the balancing act that the government is engaged in. Party sources said that Gandhi is of the view that reservations are necessary to empower backward sections by giving them access to higher education.
Sources pointed out that Sonia has not ticked off HRD minister Arjun Singh at any point since he dropped the quota bombshell. She has met him twice since April 5, when he fired the salvo. The first meeting between the two was held a couple of days after he made the announcement.
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