The Supreme Court verdict allowing 27 per cent reservation for Other Backward Classes in Central educational institutions, including IITs and IIMs is commendable, says Dr Udit Raj, chairman, All India Confederation of SC/ST Organisations.

Coverage: The Reservation Issue

Raj, who is an aggressive lobbyist of Dalit issues, said, "This judgment of 4:1 majority is better than the Mandal Commission judgment of the Supreme Court (that allowed 27 per cent reservation in jobs for the backward classes) that was given with a weak majority of 5:4."

Raj, who is a member of the National Integration Council, told rediff.com, "Dalits and tribals will not be affected by the judgment favouring OBC because, in effect, seats in these institutions will be increased. That will benefit our students as well."

Reservation Issue: A Timeline

When asked about the anti-reservation forces, Raj said, "In real India and on the ground, anti-reservation forces are non-existent. They are visible and heard through media only. Anti-reservationwalas are not important because they are negligible."

Rah hastened to add, "Students of general category will also benefit because the total number of seats will be increasing. They should not have any grouse."