Although the issue of reservations in educational institutions or the private sector is not likely to be discussed by the Cabinet when it meets on Tuesday, sources in the HRD ministry said attempts were on to bring the Bill for OBC quotas in higher education in the coming Parliament session.
The Cabinet secretariat had last month returned the draft Bill for OBC quotas in educational institutions to the HRD ministry, saying it would be taken up only after the election process was over.
Though the elections got over on Monday, ministry sources said the Bill was unlikely to be sent to the Cabinet in a hurry. This, however, does not rule out it being in Parliament.
Private sector quotas is a different matter, though. The proposal was first discussed by a group of ministers amid criticism by some ministers, including Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal. The ministry of social justice and empowerment then urged the Cabinet to discuss it. This hasn't happened yet.
Ministry sources said the quota Bill would include organisations which employed more than 50 people. The issue of reservations in the private sector had been taken up at the highest level of the prime minister's office even when the HRD ministry's proposal for reservation of seats in higher education was facing criticism.
However, sources in the social justice ministry said noises in favour of private sector quotas had more to do with the elections. The ministry, on its part, has been pushing for it ever since the UPA government came to power.
The common minimum programme, too, has private sector quotas on its agenda. The proposal has already been criticised by corporate bosses, with Sunil Mittal, vice-president, CII, joining the critics. Earlier, the proposal was criticised by Ratan Tata and Narayanamurthy of Infosys.
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