ST students show unity under 'quota umbrella'
Source: The Sangai Express / Ninglun Hanghal

New Delhi, March 08 2011: Scheduled tribe students from all over the country gathered at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi today to demand the restoration of the 7.5 percent reservation in different post and services in the NCT of Delhi.

Most of the demonstrators comprise of students in large numbers from North East India, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Bihar, among others.

Under the banner of All India Scheduled Tribes Student Action Forum , it alleged that reservation of STs in services and educational institution in Govt of NCT of Delhi was operational uninterruptedly since 1955, but was unreasonably stopped since the Supreme Court judgement in Civil Appeal No.5092 of 2009 (Subhash Chandra & Others Vs Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board & Others) declaring that the dicta in Pushpa (Case Appeal Civil No.6-7 of 1998 S.Pushpa & Others Vs Siva Chanmugavelu & Others) is an arbiter and not lay down any binding ratio.

ST students at Jantar Mantar deamnding their quotas in jobs

Students demanded that the Centre Government should direct the Delhi Government to follow the norms of reservation by Union Public Service Commission, which was also a resolution of the Ministry of Home Affairs in 1950.Students also stated in its release that the Govt of India should issue a constitutional order under article 342 (1) of the Indian Constitution.

A memorandum was submitted to Prime Minister , Union Home Minister, Law Minister, UPA chairperson, Union Tribal Affairs Ministers, citing grievances and urging the Govt of India to notify all STs as had been notified as ST in all the States / UTs from time and time , declaring them deemed to be Schedule Tribes in relation to the Govt of NCT of Delhi, so as to restore reservation in services and educational institutions under the Delhi government as it has always taken place since the past 55 years.

ZSP ( Zomi Sangnaupang Pawlpi) student leader Khaibiaklian told this correspondent that there are several cases of results being withheld.

" candidates who went to inquire about their status of result for the post of nurse ( in medical department) were told that there is no such ST reservation " said the student leader.

He added " at times they were asked to pay bribe" .

An applicant for the post of Library in the Delhi Service Selection Board in 2009, Ms Lunching informed that in the list of the successful candidates for the main written examination that came out in 2010 do not have ST list, while it include general and OBC.

The said post was advertised in 2007 stating that 40 post were reserved for ST.

She sat for the preliminary exam in 2009, and was subsequently one of the successful candidate.

On the question of whether she had approach authorities, she said that many of the ST students do not know where to approach.

" we do discussed with legal practitioners, but they were not willing to take such cases" said Lunching.