Moily committee to review quota crisis

Bangalore: The Oversight Committee on Reservation, set up by the Centre under the Chairmanship of former Karnataka Chief Minister M Veerappa Moily, would hold its maiden sitting in New Delhi on Tuesday.

"The committee will prepare a road map with a time-bound programme to implement 27 per cent reservation for OBCs without compromising merit and addressing apprehensions aired by students," Moily said.

There is a need to undertake confidence building measures among those opposing reservation as they have apprehensions that the general quota would shrink and merit would be compromised by implementing reservation in elite institutions, said Moily who is also the Chairman of the Second Administrative Reforms Commission set up by the Centre.

"I am confident that a formula, which would be acceptable to all sections, could be evolved by the committee. It is possible to work out a formula," he said.

Moily said the committee, after studying the reports of the expert committee already constituted by the Government, would evolve a formula by the August 31 deadline set for it.

The expert groups have been asked to submit their reports to the Oversight Committee by July 31.

Moily, who was responsible for evolving a foolproof Common Entrance Test (CET), for selection of students in professional courses in Karnataka, said that a new era of excellence would be ushered in the country in the higher education sector as the Government plans to spend Rs 6000 crore this year.

Moily also said the students' apprehensions are "genuine" and assured that their doubts would be dispelled.

"The committee will ensure that merit would be protected very cautiously and vigorously. Interest of General merit students will also be protected."

Describing the task entrusted to him as a "golden opportunity and challenging", he said the experience of the southern states, including Karnataka thus far has "proved that by implementing reservation, merit quota has not shrunk, but rather it has only extended."

Several students, who derived reservation benefits in Karnataka in work, have proved good, he maintained.