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PIO Varsity in imminent quota row
By siliconindia
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Thursday, 14 December 2006, 18:30 IST
New Delhi: While the PIOs had enough reason to rejoice and consider educating their children in India with the proposal on the part of the Ministry of Overseas India Affairs about the setting up of a PIO university, the proposal may run into rough weather even before it could gather substantial steam. This because of the ministry' suggestion that 50 percent of its seats should be reserved for people of Indian origin and rest for Indian citizens.
Notably, the idea of the institute came from the PM himself, but many ministers have taken an opposition to the ministry's proposal saying that reserving 50 percent seats for non-Indian citizens would not only be unconstitutional but also that there was a strong possibility that the SC might term it illegal. Law ministry, currently seized with the Cabinet note, could also raise objection to the provision for 50 percent reservation for PIOs.
If precedents are to be considered, the SC in the PA Inamdar judgment had said that only 15 percent reservation could be given to NRIs in the case of unaided institutions. Since PIO university would be a fully government aided institution, chances are rife that the SC might strike the 50 percent reservation down as illegal. But sources point out that sine the PM himself has proposed the PIO University and made a commitment towards it, a way out would be found soon.