1.Diverse norms in one State

• Horticulture and Forestry.

• ✓ SC 22%, ST 5%, and OBC 15%

• Medical Education

• ✓State Quota & All India Quota: SC 15%, ST 7.5%
• ✓OBC: No reservation in percentage. 4 seats in IGMC and 2 seats each in the rest of the five GMCs under SQ and 27% in AIQ. P G courses: no reservation in SQ- 27% in AIQ.
• ✓In B SC (Medical Technology) reservation is only in direct seats.

• Agriculture University

• ✓15% & 7.5% for SC & ST.
• ✓1 OBC: one seat in each seven UG course.

• Technical Education.

• SC 22%, ST 5%, OBC 18%.

• HP University & SP University

• ✓SC:15%, ST 7.5%, OBC: Nil

2.Aberration in practice.

• ✓In addition to normal or State seats, there are self financing/non subsidized seats, ICAR seats, NRI seats, supernumerary seats and the like available for admission. But reservation is effected only against normal or State seats which number less than half of total seats.
• ✓In case of Economically Weaker Sections, Agriculture University has been providing reservation ‘over and above total seats’. In the admission year 2022 for UG programmes, against total 504 seats available, 56 were reserved to SC/ST/OBC combined and 46 to EWS alone.
• ✓No seats were reserved to SC/ST in the Biotechnology Department of HPU in 2022 admission.

3.Poor Intake.

• ✓In the admission year 2022 out of total 532 seats available for admission in B Sc (Hon) programmes in Colleges of Horticulture & Forestry, 79 seats were earmarked for SC/ST/OBC (SC: 37, ST: 9 & OBC: 33) and 56 (SC: 29, ST: 7 & OBC: 20) were actually admitted.
• ✓In all the four Government Engineering Colleges, 919 students were admitted in 2022. Out of this 103 SCs, 18 STs and 68 OBCs were taken against roster which is less than half of total reserved seats.

4.Transfer of seats

• ✓Where reserved categories candidates are not available against vertical reservation, seats are transferred to General category. A large number of seats are transferred this way. In some cases such transfer has been effected in first counselling itself.
• ✓Relative poverty, minimum eligibility benchmark, higher cost of education, fees structures and systemic apathy are scourge to the deprived.

5.No monitoring, evaluation and accountability.

• ✓Monitoring system is not in place. There is no flow of information or returns from Institutions and Departments undertaking admission process, to the controlling bodies viz Universities, Governments, UGC, NMC, ICAR, SC/ST/OBC Commissions. Therefore, data of admissions against reserved seats are not even prepared.
• ✓Gaps in admissions against reserved seats are neither reviewed nor evaluated.
• ✓There is no accountability in case of aberrations.

6.What is just and rightful

• ✓Earmarking more than 50% seats as special seats and then excluding them from the purview of reservation is a denial tactic and violative of prevailing rules of reservation. Therefore, reserved seats should be computed on total and all forms of seats available for admission as is being done by CSK HP Agriculture University in case of EWS.
• ✓In case of unavailability of candidates, seats should be transferred horizontally failing which such transfer should be inter reserved categories.
• ✓Minimum eligibility criteria and fees structures may be rationalized to increase number of eligible candidates.
• ✓Details of counselling process should be submitted to monitoring bodies, online, and system of corrective interventions may be put in place. Monitors and liaison officers may be appointed.
• ✓•Universities and institutions should be made liable for gaps and deviations.
• •Principle of “ one State one rule of reservation” is essential. Population is sole factor for determination of quantum of reservation. Keeping in view ratio of 50% cap, reservation in admission should be fixed at 24% for SCs, 8% for STs and 18% for OBC in all Institutions/Universities uniformly, for the sake of justice and empowerment of these classes.
• •Legislation is necessary to prescribe and regulate reservations both in Private and Government Educational Institutions.

(Compilation and analysis: PS Draik)

Details shall follow next week.