Delhi University raises OBC reservation to 18 percent

September 13th, 2009 NEW DELHI - After allocating Rs. 25 crore (Rs.250 million) for two more campuses of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), the government is planning to set up three more universities for the country's minorities, according to officials.

August 27th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Union Cabinet today approved the implementation of reservation for students belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes to the National Institute of Technology in Jirania in Tripura. The Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act, 2006 (CEI Act, 2006) was notified on January 4, 2007.

August 27th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved fifty percent reservation for women in panchayats all across the country. "The Cabinet has approved the amendment of Article 243 (d) of the Constitution to reserve 50 per cent of the total number of seats in panchayats filled by direct election for women," said Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni here after a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

August 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Hundreds of women from many parts of the country Monday marched in the capital demanding that parliament pass the bill to reserve 33 percent of legislature seats for women. The march to parliament was organised by the All India Progressive Women's Association (AIPWA).

July 27th, 2009 JAIPUR - The sit-in organised by the Gujjar Reservation Action Committee to build pressure on the Rajasthan Government to get the pending ST reservation bill cleared, continued for the second day on Monday. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has renewed his invitation to Gujjar leader Kirodi Singh Bainsla to resume talks with the government.

June 25th, 2009 AGARTALA - The central government has decided to continue reservation of seats for tribal and other backward community students in the National Institute of Technology (NIT) here after a high court ruling slashed the quota system for the institute, a state minister said Thursday. The decision was taken at a meeting in New Delhi Wednesday between union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal and Tripura's Higher Education Minister Anil Sarkar.

June 21st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Minority Affairs Minister Salman Khursheed has said that the government will prefer a smooth process for reservation of jobs for minorities in the private sector instead of pushing it down to anybody's throat. Talking to reporters here on Saturday, Khursheed said the government is proceeding with as much urgency as it can on the issue.

June 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Uma Bharti Monday wrote to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat urging him to ask the BJP to seek reservation for women from the backward classes in the women's quota bill. Uma Bharti, who formed her breakaway Bharatiya Jan Shakti party, said the BJP should not support the bill in its present form and it should "seek reservation within reservation" for those from the backward classes.

June 11th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Senior BJP functionary Vinay Katiyar said on Thursday that the Bill on women's reservation was not acceptable to him. He opposed the present structure of Women's Reservation Bill, saying that, if passed, it will benefit only a few.

June 11th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Minister of State for Minority Affairs Salman Khurshid Thursday said the government was considering giving constitutional status to the National Minorities Commission and would decide on reservation for Muslims after studying the Andhra Pradesh and Kerala models. We want to give the minorities commission a constitutional status and will try our best for that, Khurshid told reporters after a meeting with the commission members.

June 9th, 2009 NEW DELHI - RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav on Tuesday opposed the present structure of Women's Reservation Bill, saying it is aimed at preventing the political progress of backward sections and would "finish" regional parties. "Mulayam Singh had said there was a conspiracy (in bringing the bill in its present form) and I am now exposing it," the RJD chief said in the Lok Sabha.

June 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Supporting the contention of Janata Dal (U) chief Sharad Yadav, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday also opposed the Women's Reservation Bill in its present form. Yadav said he was not against greater participation of women in politics but it should be done through consensus.

June 5th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Senior Janata Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav and member of Lok Sabha on Friday threatened to consume poison in the House if the Women Reservation Bill was passed in its present form. "We may not have the numbers but I will consume poison and die here but not allow the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill," Sharad Yadav said in Parliament.

June 4th, 2009 NEW DELHI - After President Pratibha Patil declared that the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill in the parliament is among the top ten priorities of Prime Minister Manamohan Singh's government, women politicians are hopeful that their 14-year-old demand will be fulfilled soon. "Women have been waiting for this since the last fourteen years.

June 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Disappointing many women politicians, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Wednesday maintained his party's opposition towards Women's Reservation Bill in its "present form". "The Bill is not acceptable to us in its present form," Yadav told reporters outside Parliament.