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Hindustan Times
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Congress demands reservation in private educational institutions
New Delhi: The Congress on Monday demanded that the central government immediately pass a legislation to implement reservation for scheduled castes (SC), scheduled tribes (ST), and other backward classes (OBCs) in private educational institutions. Anil Jaihind, chairman of the OBC Department of the Congress, claimed the Centre was compelled to announce a caste census after the party raised the issue and said the government will also be compelled to implement Article 15(5), which seeks to allow reservations for SCs, STs, and socially and educationally backwards classes in educational institutions, including private unaided institutions, except minority institutions. He accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government of 'sitting on' this constitutional provision for the past 11 years, depriving over 100 crore citizens of their access to education and said his party will push for this legislation in the upcoming Parliament session. 'Modi ji calls himself an OBC and talks of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, but for the last 11 years he has been sitting on it,' he said Jaihind said the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had inserted Article 15(5) in the Constitution in 2006 and landmark Supreme Court rulings—Ashok Kumar Thakur vs Union of India (2008), IMA vs Union of India (2011), and Pramati Educational and Cultural Trust vs Union of India— had upheld this provision. However, he said, ever since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government came to power in 2014, they have failed to pass the necessary legislation to implement this right. 'The Congress party, our honourable president Mr Mallikarjun Kharge and leader of opposition, the protector of the constitution, Rahul Gandhi ji, will get this article 15(5) of the Constitution, reservation for SC, ST, OBC in private institutions, done in this very session of Parliament,' he said. 'When Rahul ji raised the issue of caste discrimination, you all saw what Modi ji said. Once he said that it is a big sin to talk about caste, there is no caste, and that in this country, there are only women, youth, the poor and farmers. Once he said that these are urban Naxals who talk like this... One of their leaders, whose name is very popular on social media, had said that whoever talks about caste will be beaten up. So, despite such comments, when the pressure of the country, people, OBC, SC, ST increased, they were compelled... Very soon, this government will be compelled to form legislation on Article 15(5) and implement this reservation,' he said. 'The time for social justice has come, and no power in the world can stop the implementation of provisions for social justice in the Constitution,' he concluded.
Hindustan Times
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Cong to revive its OBC department in U.P. soon
: The Congress will soon revive its dissolved other backward classes (OBC) department in the state and elsewhere. The move comes when the party is working out a roadmap to reach out to the people to push its social justice agenda that got an impetus following the Union government's announcement to hold a caste-based enumeration as part of the next decadal census. The Congress had dissolved its state OBC department on February 27, 2025 to pave the way for reconstituting the party's front wing that works under the umbrella of the main organisation, which is also undergoing a revamp. 'We will constitute the state backward classes department in the state in the next (few) weeks. The caste census is a part of the Congress's social justice agenda being pushed for achieving the objective of having an equitable society. We will retain those who have been actively working in the past,' said Anil Jaihind, chairman of the All India Congress Committee's OBC department. Manoj Yadav, who headed the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee OBC department as its chairman at the time of dissolution, said he has been asked to continue till alternative arrangements. Yadav may be appointed UP OBC department chairman again, those aware of the development said. Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee organised Thank You Rahul Gandhi celebrations for pushing the caste census agenda and compelling the Union government to announce caste-based enumeration with the next caste census. The grand old party is in the process of working out programmes to take the party's social justice agenda to the people. The Congress Working Committee, at its meeting held in New Delhi on Friday, adopted a resolution demanding quota in private educational institutions. It also urged the Union government to emulate the party's Telangana model. It resolved 'The Congress Party also demands the urgent implementation of Article 15(5) of the Constitution, which enables the provision of reservations for OBCs, Dalits, and Adivasis in private educational institutions.' Congress Working Committee member Ajay Kumar Lallu said the Union government should give a timeline for completing the caste-based enumeration. He also said the party was in favour of scrapping the 50% quota cap and final touches are being given to programmes to take the party's agenda to the grass roots.
