"All legal options are being looked into", Human Resource Development Ministry sources said hours after the apex court refused to vacate the stay on implementing 27 per cent OBC reservation from this academic year.

Without going into details of the action being contemplated to give effect to the quota regime, they said the senior officials of the ministry were in consultation with the Solicitor General on how to deal with the situation.

"We will take a view quickly," was the response when repeated asked how long the government would take to firm up its view in view of the admission process being kept on hold in the Indian Institutes of Management.

Asked whether there would be any fresh directive to the IIMs who have earlier been told to keep the admission on hold, they said, "We will issue them shortly. We also do not want to inconvenience students."

To a question whether the 54 per cent expansion plan in the elite institutions would be on if the admission process on the basis of quota was not likely to take place in 2007, they said the government has to take a view on this.