Union minister Ramdas Athawale favours increase in reservation

Union minister Ramdas Athawale today favoured a 25 per cent increase in reservation to accommodate a few other castes.
Addressing a press conference here, the minister of state for social justice and empowerment said communities such as the Marathas in Maharashtra, the Patels in Gujarat and the Jats in Haryana were demanding reservation.
The central government should suitably change the law to meet their demand for quota.
He, however, said 77 per cent of the SC, ST and OBC population was availing 49.5 per cent reservation and it should not be touched. The creamy layer condition should be implemented.
The Union minister earlier reviewed centrally-aided projects related to the welfare of Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes and persons with disability at a meeting with state government officials here.

During the meeting, he said the Dalits were safe in Kerala.
The minister also said the Centre was in the process of granting deemed university status to the National Institute of Speech and Hearing here.