Muslims Reassured Job Quota

January 17, 2008

Author: Ajay Jha

Source: Gulf News

http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/08/01/17/10182435.html

The federal government yesterday reassured Muslims that it is considering their demand for reservation in educational institutions and government jobs.

Home Minister Shivraj Patil gave this assurance while speaking at the annual Conference of State Minorities Commission.

"We have to apply our mind as to how best to do this [reservation] and the government is looking into this aspect," Patil said after inaugurating the conference.

While provisions have been made over the years for reservations to Scheduled Tribes, lower caste Hindus (Dalits) and other backward castes (OBCs), minorities which roughly constitute little over 19 per cent of India's 1.1 billion population, have by and large denied benefits of reservation, except in case where Scheduled Tribes have converted to some other religion.