Reservation in Private Colleges: Article 15(5)

Why in News?

The Opposition, led by Congress, has demanded that the Centre ensure proper implementation of reservation policies in private educational institutions. It emphasized that regulatory bodies in higher education must monitor the enforcement of Article 15(5) of the Constitution.

Concepts from exam Point of view:

Article 15(5) of the Indian Constitution, added by the 93rd Amendment in 2005, empowers the state to make special provisions—including reservations—for the admission of socially and educationally backward classes, Scheduled Castes (SCs), and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in educational institutions, including private unaided institutions, excluding minority schools.

• Exclusion: It explicitly excludes minority educational institutions referred to in Article 30(1).

Article 15(6), inserted by the 103rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 2019, enables special provisions (reservation) for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).

• It allows up to 10% reservation in educational institutions (including private, aided/unaided) except minority institutions. This is in addition to existing reservations, specifically targeting those not covered by 15(4) or 15(5).