PTI
 
New Delhi, Aug 22: The Union cabinet on Monday night approved a Constitution amendment Bill providing for reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and backward castes in government-aided elite educational institutions, including IITs and IIMs. The Bill would be introduced during the current session of the Parliament.

Information and Broadcasting Minister P R Dasmunsi refused to divulge the details of the legislation claiming privilege of the House. However, he said the Bill would be brought by August 25, the last day of the monsoon session.
 
Sources said the measure would be implemented in a staggered manner and exclude the creamy layer given the fact that its implementation in one go would require a whopping Rs 16,500 crore.

The creamy layer had been excluded in the matter of reservation in jobs for OBCs and the same principle was likely to be followed in the education field too, the sources said.

It is understood that the government has not for the moment taken up the proposal for implementing reservation in unaided educational institutions. The proposed reservation in the first phase is also expected to cover central institutions like NITs and central universities.

Monday's decision taken at a two-hour special meeting of the cabinet implies that the reservation proposal would be implemented in a phased manner and not in one go as demanded by parties like the DMK and the PMK, key UPA constituents, and strong votaries of reservation.

Details of the quantum of reservation were not spelt out but it is believed that it could be up to 27 percent for OBCs and combined with the quota for SC and ST.

The cabinet decision on Monday caps a bitter controversy triggered six months ago by HRD Minister Arjun Singh's statement on reservation in these institutions that sparked agitation by medicos in the capital and elsewhere.