Tuesday, December 20 2005 13:56 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: A Constitutional amendment bill providing reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in unaided private educational institutions was introduced in Lok Sabha today (Dec 20, 2005) amid reservations by Left parties, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The Constitution (104th Amendment) Bill, piloted by HRD Minister Arjun Singh, excludes minority educational institutions from its purview.

At present, reservation of seats for SCs, STs and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in admission to educational institutions is derived from provisions of Article 15(4) of the Constitution.

The number of seats available in aided or state maintained institutions, particularly in respect of professional education, is limited in comparison to those in private unaided institutions.

The new bill seeks to amplify Article 15 to provide for similar reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs in unaided educational institutions.

The new clause will enable Parliament as well as State Legislatures to make appropriate laws for this purpose, Singh said in the statement of objects and reasons for the bill.