Tamil Nadu government to implement 10.5% vanniyar quota from this year

Tamil Nadu government to implement 10.5% vanniyar quota from this year

TNN | Jul 27, 2021, 05.28 AM IST

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government on Monday announced that it will implement 10.5% special reservation for vanniyars in admission to all courses, including professional courses, from 2021-22.

“After consultation with legal experts and the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC), chief minister M K Stalin issued an order to implement the 10.5% special reservation from February 26, 2021,” said an official release. This was after the PMK pointed out the vanniyar quota was not mentioned in the information brochures and applications for engineering and arts and science admissions released on Monday.

When the assembly was in session, the CM had told PMK leader G K Mani that a good decision will be made on implementing the quota after consultation with legal experts and officials on changing the roster system.

The previous AIADMK government had passed the legislation to temporarily provide for 10.5% special reservation for vanniyars within the 20% quota for most backward classes (MBCs).

After the Supreme Court refused to stay the legislation in the first week of July, it was expected that the 10.5% special quota would be implemented from this academic year.

However, the admission brochures and applications to engineering, arts and science courses did not mention it reservation. In a statement on Monday, PMK leader S Ramadoss asked the state government to withdraw the notifications and issue the fresh notifications including the special quota for vanniyars.

Later in the day, the state government issued the order, which will see at least 14,000 BE, BTech seats and 10,000 seats in 143 government arts and science colleges reserved for vanniyars. Of 20% seats allocated to MBCs in the existing MBBS seat matrix, nearly 500 seats will be reserved for vanniyars.

PMK spokesperson K Balu said the government’s announcement will help uplift vanniyars socially and educationally as more students from the community will now enter professional colleges. “It is an important day in the journey of social justice. The special reservation is the result of a 40-year-long struggle by our leader Ramadoss. We thank former CM Edappadi K Palaniswami, former law minister C Ve Shanmugam and chief minister M K Stalin,” he said.