OBC reservation reduced to a mere five percent in cooperative colleges under State Cooperative Union

KOCHI: The admission process for JDC (Junior Diploma in Cooperation) courses in cooperative colleges under the State Cooperative Union has completely disregarded the OBC reservation policy. While professional colleges offer 30% reservation and regular colleges provide 20% reservation for OBCs, cooperative colleges are allocating only 5% for OBCs, despite offering 10% reservation for economically weaker sections (EWS) from forward communities.

The injustice of granting only 5% reservation to OBCs, who constitute more than 40% of the population, has largely gone unnoticed. The State Cooperative Union, under the Kerala government, runs 20 cooperative colleges across the state. These colleges offer JDC, HDC (Higher Diploma in Cooperation), and BM (Bachelor of Management) courses, which are mandatory qualifications for recruitment in cooperative institutions and the cooperation department.

Currently, there are 2,123 seats for JDC admissions, out of which 320 seats are exclusively for Scheduled Castes (SC) students across four colleges. The HDC course has 120 seats. Applications have been invited only for JDC admissions, with the deadline set for March 31.

Established in 1970 under the Kerala Cooperative Societies Act, the State Cooperative Union focuses on cooperative education, training, and supporting the development of cooperative institutions. It is recognized as the first institution of its kind in the country.

Reservation breakdown in Cooperative Colleges

• Scheduled Castes (SC): 8%
• Scheduled Tribes (ST): 2%
• Forward Community (EWS): 10%
• OBC: 5%
• DCP: 5%
• Ex-servicemen: 5%