Govt concerned over high cut-off for OBC seats in DU

The existing education system is "working against policy of access to education," said HRD Minister Kapil Sibal while batting for holding a single examination for children across the country to do away with such problems.

Stating that "he will sit" with the Vice Chancellor of Delhi University on the issue of high cut-off, Sibal hinted at the other option of moving to Supreme Court for the benefit of the OBC students. "This is something that I am thinking of to move to Supreme Court that your 10 per cent margin that you have kept... is not in fact fulfilling the aspirations of OBC students who want admission in Delhi University. But I have not taken a final decision on it. This is one of the options," he said on the sidelines of a function here.

Sibal observed that it will be difficult to get OBC candidates for the seats if the cut-off is above 90 per cent. The Supreme Court order on OBC reservation allows maximum 10 per cent relaxation so as to fill all the seats.

He said his dream is to see that the single country- wide examination will become a reality by 2013. "This is my objective, desire and dream," he said. Asked about IIT Delhi's move to start a grooming programme for SC & ST students which has come under attack from some quarters for being "discriminatory", Sibal said the institute has "withdrawn it from their website".

A section of the academic community felt the programme could have caused "segregation" between students on the basis of caste. The programme was due to start from July 10.