PM Panel Faults RTE Bill (November 23, 2006)
The Knowledge Commission appointed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said that model Right to Educational Bill (RTE) “is flawed for a number of reasons” and ruled that the measures “must be enforced by the central government.”<More>

Govt Survey Finds 41% OBC (November 07, 2006)
The Government’s premier statistical body found that India has 41.1% population belonging to the Other Backward Classes (OBC) and not 52% as asserted by the Government wanting to create a vote-bank by granting them reservation in premier educational institutions.<More>

SC Creamy Layer Definition (October 25, 2006)
Introduced first in 1992 by the Supreme Court (SC), the creamy layer concept was defined as those who were children of the elite of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) and has now been extended to cover those who are in the Scheduled Castes and Tribes too.<More>

SC Verdicts Cuts Up Political Plans (October 23, 2006)
In far-reaching verdicts, the Supreme Court (SC) asked the Government for “compelling reasons” for including particular castes that are entitled for reservations and “quantifiable” data to retain those castes in the list has created churn in the caste-politics.<More>

Quota Panel Report (October 09, 2006)
The Oversight Committee submitted their proposals to the Federal Government proposing that the contentious 27% reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBC) be reviewed in another 5 years and again after a decade to determine the relevance of the policy.<More>

Quota Plan in Shambles (August 07, 2006)
Reports suggest that serious differences over strategy, financial requirements, and concerns of Constitutional validity within the Government may delay the Bill for Other Backward Classes (OBC).<More>

India Corporate Says No to Quota (July 31, 2006)
Senior members of the Indian industry met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and conveyed their opposition to legislated cased-based quota regime but promised that will fund training programs, introduce ethical hiring codes, and adopt alternative solutions.<More>

Government to Respond to Reservation Lawsuit (July 24, 2006)
The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry is to file an affidavit in the Supreme Court (SC) justifying the Government’s decision to reserve seats for the so-called Other Backward Classes (OBC) in higher educational institutions under the 93^rd Amendment.<More>

Identification of a Creamy Layer within OBC (July 22, 2006)
In a refreshing twist to the Reservation debate, the Government issued a note specifying that children of Government functionaries, judiciary, media, tax paying citizens, and employees of bank, insurance, and universities will be considered to be "Creamy Layer." <More>

Arjun Kills Education Bill, Moots Muslim Reservation (July 14, 2006)
Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh scuttled an important Right to Education Bill to make way for his reservation schemes that violate Constitutional norms for different pockets of population that is to now include “backward” Muslims.<More>

Budget Quota for Minorities  (June 23, 2006)
The Government announced a 15 point program to focus action sharply on issues intimately linked with the social, educational and economic enhancement of the minorities including a quota of 15% of the budget for them in certain schemes. <More>

Budgetary Quota Plan (June 15, 2006)
A sub-group of Ministers on financial controls have agreed to propose to the Federal Government is considering a proposal that will create a budgetary quota of 22.5% for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) welfare.<More> 

GoM Stops Pvt Sector Quota Proposal (June 14, 2006)
A Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Federal Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar have ruled that the proposal to reserve employment in the private sector is not politically desirable, feasible, or legal and has asked that the proposal be shelved.<More>

Minister Wants Quota in Private Sector (June 08, 2006)
Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Meira Kumar struck an ominous note that businesses must create a reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the private sector voluntarily in the near future as "Time is running out.”<More>

Doctors Call Off Strike (June 01, 2006)
Striking doctors called off their stir and returned to work following the Supreme Court’s (SC) firm warning that they should return to work or face contempt but the issue of Reservations and politics based on caste got murkier with many uncertainties.<More>

SC Intervenes on Quota, Demands Answers from Govt (May 30, 2006)
The Supreme Court (SC) admitted a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on the ongoing quota issue and asked several inconvenient questions to the Government while appealing to the striking doctors to withdraw their strike.<More >

Anti-Quota Struggle Expands, Students Threaten Suicide (May 22, 2006)
Students and doctors protesting the quota-based reservation system expanded their protests to other cities and intensified them in New Delhi and Mumbai even as a group of students wrote to the President Abdul Kalam seeking permission to commit suicide.<More> 

Lower Bar for Teachers (May 19, 2006)
In a bid to recruit more teachers in colleges, the Human Resources Development (HRD) Ministry is lowering educational standards further with a proposal to abolish National Entrance Test (NET) requirements for those with MPhil and PhD candidates.<More> 

Govt Softens & Threatens on Quota, Protests Spread (May 16, 2006)
The Government seemed to soften its stand a bit inviting striking students and doctors for talks even as Health Minister Anbumani Ramdoss vainly threatened to dismiss striking doctors even though there is a shortage of doctors in the country.<More>

Quota Reservation Protests Intensifies (May 15, 2006)
Undeterred by widespread protests against his retrograde suggestions on quota-based reservations in premier institutions and private sector, Human Resources Development Minister Arjun Singh dismissed criticisms and refused to review his proposals.<More> 

Change Quota-Reservation Policy (May 8, 2006)
The Supreme Court (SC) reversed its own verdict recognizing the complexity involved to provide mandatory allocation of the 10% reservation for the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) in national level Post Graduate (PG) medical colleges.<More> 

Anti-Reservation Protests Spread (May 3, 2006)
More students from medical, engineering, and non-professional colleges marched in many parts of the country protesting purported moves by the Federal Government to double reservation in all colleges—even backward classes students joined these protests.<More>

EC Blocks Arjun’s Mediocrity (April 10, 2006)
Driven by political greed, Human Resources Development Minister Arjun Singh embarrassed the Government that Other Backward Classes (OBC) will be entitled to a 27% reservation in premier Central educational institutions also.<More>

AMU Can’t Claim Minority Status (January 13, 2006)
The Federal Human Resources Minister Arjun Singh has said that the Federal Cabinet will proclaim an ordinance that the Aligarh Muslim University will be a minority institution.<More