Quota for OBCs

The ministry of human resource development is considering a proposal to introduce preparatory courses at the Central universities to enrol quota students who fail to secure admission. The year-long feeder course would coach them for admission to the varsities.The proposal was put forward to the Supreme Court in September in a reply filed by the ministry in response to a petition seeking direction on the vacant seats in the quota categories in all the 13 IITs—seven existing and six launched this year.The proposal comes in the wake of implementation of 27% quota for OBCs in Central educational institutions this year, which has led to several vacant seats in the category.At the 13 IITs, which implemented a 9% quota for OBCs this year, just 20 out of 654 seats for the category remained vacant. But at the six new IITs, only seven out of 54, or 12%, of the seats reserved for ST students have been filled.