New Delhi, April 11 (IANS) The premier All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), whose doctors were in the forefront of the anti-quota stir two years ago, will implement the 27 percent quota for other backward classes (OBCs) from the coming academic year. Expressing “hope” that the institute would be able to implement the quota from the session that begins in August, Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss Friday said the issue of increasing seats and infrastructure at the institute would be “addressed”.

His remarks come a day after the Supreme Court upheld the 27 percent quota for the OBCs in institutes of higher learning.

Ramadoss, speaking at the first National Health Writers and Communicators Convention here, said: “Since the Mandal Commission allowed quota in employment in 1990, only 5.3 percent seats have been filled of the 27 percent.”

“This is what will happen to this quota also if the creamy layer is kept out.” he said, commenting on creamy layer or the affluent among the community being excluded from the ambit.

On the issue of graduates not availing quota benefits if they have already done so once, the health minister said, “We will go through the details of the court order and then decide.”

He, however, said that the issue of the exclusion of the creamy layer and children of parliamentarians and legislators would be taken up at both the cabinet and the United Progressive Alliance level.

“There are so many ex-MPs who have fallen on hard times. Some MLAs do not take home their salaries. To keep their children out of the reservation ambit would be unfair,” he explained.

“These issues need to be kept in mind while dealing with the issue,” he added.

The new policy, once implemented, would take overall reservation in government-funded higher education institutions to 49.5 percent from the current 22.5, which is for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.