Par panel slams HRD ministry over no reservation to OBCs in admission to KVs, JNVs

Slamming the HRD Ministry over no provision for reservation of OBCs in admission to Kendriya Vidyalayas and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalas, a parliamentary panel has recommended that a decision be taken on the issue within three months to ensure that OBC students can avail the benefits in the upcoming academic session.

A report of the Lok Sabha's Public Accounts Committee, chaired by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Ramesh Bidhuri, was tabled in Parliament on Wednesday.

"The committee is anguished to note that till date there is no provision for reservation of OBCs in admission to Kendriya Vidyalayas and Navodaya Vidyalayas even when the same is being provided to SC/ST students. The ministry has only apprised the committee that reservation in admission to SC/ST students is being extended as per enabling provisions in the admission policy guidelines of Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) and Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS)," the report said.

"The committee strongly recommends that a decision on the reservation of OBCs in admissions to KVs and NVs should be arrived at within three months and implemented as to ensure that reservation benefits can be availed by the OBC students in upcoming academic session without any difficulty. They would like to be apprised accordingly at the action taken stage," it added.

The panel also expressed concerns over the same reservation benefits not being extended in admissions to Sainik schools and Rashtriya Military schools.

"The committee is not able to comprehend the reasons for not extending the reservation benefits to the OBC candidates in the said schools. The committee feels that the government cannot take a stand that reservation in admissions for OBCs is not being provided keeping in mind the stiff physical and mental requirements of the armed forces as the children from reserved categories undoubtedly have every capability to meet those requirements at par with general category candidates," the report said.