OBC quota implementation faces problems
New Delhi: After the Moily committee report's recommendations suggesting a staggered implementation of reservation in higher educational institutions, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seems set to face a difficult time.

This is because he has to decide fast on the interim report of the Oversight Committee whose recommendations are likely to be taken into consideration while framing a Bill on quota.

The government has promised the Bill would be introduced during the current session of Parliament and a draft legislation is under preparation. Backed by support from Left parties and allies like DMK and PMK, Union Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh was keen on implementing the process in one go from the next academic year.

However, the Oversight Committee in its interim report, presented to the Prime Minister, is understood to have given strong indications suggesting it could only be possible in phases in view of certain issues and constraints expressed by institutions through the five sub-groups.

The timeframe for implementation of quotas and the possibility of sudden expansion "leading to loss of merit and excellence," was some of the issues raised by institutions.

IIM, Bangalore has recently said the OBC quota increase will require at least three years for implementation as well as assistance by the central government through increased funding.
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Tehri project dedicated to nation
Tehri: Tehri hydel project was dedicated to the nation Sunday with Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde formally commissioning its first unit of 250 MW.

The Rs7500-crore Tehri project was first conceived in early-1970s but its construction began only in 1978. The project was shelved in the mid-1980s following protests from locals and environmentalists but was revived soon after and handed over to Tehri Hydro Development Corporation in 1988.

The Tehri Hydro Power complex would eventually have a capacity of 2,400 MW which includes the 1,000 MW Tehri dam and hydro power plant, the 1,000 MW Tehri pump storage plant and the 400 MW Koteshwar dam and power plant located at the confluence of Bhagirathi and Bhilangana rivers in Uttaranchal.

The project boasts of Asia's highest rock fill dam of 261 metres that would generate about 1.16 billion units of electricity this fiscal, which would go up to 6.5 billion units when the entire complex is completed.
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