New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday said any proposed higher education regulator must be mandated to oversee the implementation of Article 15(5) of the Constitution, which enables the government to provide reservations for SC, ST and OBC students in private educational institutions.

Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said Article 15(5), inserted through the 93rd Constitutional Amendment by the Manmohan Singh-led government, came into force exactly 20 years ago.

Referring to the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 15 and later referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee, Ramesh said the proposed single regulator should be empowered to ensure enforcement of the constitutional provision.

He said Article 15(5) enabled the introduction of 27 per cent reservation for OBC students in centrally funded institutions such as IITs, IIMs, central universities and NITs, benefiting lakhs of students.

Ramesh noted that the Supreme Court upheld the validity of Article 15(5) in 2014, allowing reservations in private higher educational institutions as well, but said Parliament is yet to enact a law to enforce it.

He also cited an August 2025 Parliamentary Standing Committee report that flagged abysmally low representation of SC, ST and OBC students in private institutions and called for legislative action.

Reiterating the party's commitment to social justice, Ramesh urged the Centre to fully implement Article 15(5).