A group of students from Delhi University demanded reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) candidates in hostel accommodation. The students claimed, though the rules and regulations stipulated by the University Grants Commission (UGC) clearly mentions reservation for OBC students in hostel facilities, most of the Post Graduate (PG) hostels do not notify or implement the reservation for them in the varsity. The varsity officials were unavailable when NDTV contacted for a response in this regard.
Delhi University has PG hostel facilities like D.S. Kothari Hostel, Gwyer Hall, Jubilee Hall, Mansarover Hostel, Meghdoot Hostel, Post-Graduate Men's Hostel, and V.K.R.V. Rao Hostel, and most of the hostel notifications do not mention the OBC reservation.
"The UGC guidelines mention that "the percentage of reservation referred above under the head percentage shall be strictly observed for admission to the hostels". By following the UGC guidelines some colleges Undergraduate hostels implemented reservation for OBC students. But in the case of PG hostels there is no reservation for OBC students," said a student who has enrolled in one of Delhi University's PG programmes.
"Admission to PG hostels are strictly on the basis of rank secured in the entrance. Students from OBC background face many issues including non-affordability of private accommodation facilities which are costly," said another student.
The UGC had circulated the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act, 2006 and Amendment Act, 2012 to all Central Educational Institutions directing them to implement reservation provisions including admission of OBC students to these Institutions.
According to the HRD Ministry, the UGC has issued instruction to all the grant-in-aid institutions funded by the Central Government, except minority Institutions under Article 30(1) of the Constitution of India to implement 27% reservation for OBCs.
"As per the information available with the Ministry, during 2015-16, 22 out of 40 Central Universities have successfully achieved the prescribed percentage of student intake from OBC Community," the ministry told the Parliament two years ago.
"All Indian Institutes of Technology/National Institutes of Technology/Indian Institutes of Information Technology achieved the stipulated 27 % intake of OBC students. Further, 13 Indian Institutes of Management out of 19 and 22 out of 31 National Institutes of Technology recorded more than the stipulated 27% student intake," it said then.
"The Ministry of Human Resource Development through UGC instructs Universities/Institutions to furnish periodic reports on the implementation of reservation guidelines for OBCs for admissions to courses at all level and Hostel accommodation for students," it said.
Recently, a report by Round Table India Portal claimed that "there is no provision for OBC reservations in other hostels of Delhi University, BHU, Allahabad University, University of Hyderabad, Patna University and other universities".
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