CHANDIGARH, July 24 — Amid mounting pressure from the Supreme Court on the Chandigarh administration to implement the 27% Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota in educational institutions, Panjab University (PU) has reiterated that it is not obligated to follow central reservation norms, citing its legal status as a non-central institution.
“Panjab University is not a Central Educational Institution as defined under the 2006 Act,” said PU vice-chancellor Renu Vig, referencing the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act, 2006. “We are not bound to implement the 27% OBC quota mandated for centrally funded universities.”
Vig pointed to an August 2024 judgment by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, in which a bench comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Vikas Suri held that PU does not fall under the definition of a central institute as per Section 2(d) of the Act. Consequently, reservation requirements under Section 3 of the Act cannot be enforced on the university.
While the university currently provides 5% reservation to backward classes, its 2025 admissions handbook makes no provision for the 27% OBC reservation mandated at the central level.
This is not the first time PU has taken such a stance. In the 2000s, the university attempted to introduce central-level OBC reservations and sought additional funding from the University Grants Commission (UGC) for increased intake. However, the UGC denied the request, stating in a 2011 letter that PU did not qualify as a centrally funded institution due to its status as an inter-state body corporate.
In May 2024, the university’s internal committee drafted a proposal recommending 27% OBC reservation in faculty recruitment—12% of which would be reserved for candidates from Punjab. The proposal, however, remains pending with the Union Ministry of Education.
Meanwhile, student organisations including Sath and Students For Society have led protests demanding OBC quota implementation. Some faculty members have also criticized the administration’s delay.
Separately, the UT higher education department has stated it will seek legal advice following the Supreme Court’s directive last week instructing Chandigarh to amend its admission rules in line with the 27% OBC quota. Officials said the revised reservation policy will need to be formally notified by the social welfare department, and legal consultation is underway to address issues related to students already admitted for the 2025–26 academic session.
