New Delhi, May 1: The Supreme Court today permitted a petitioner, who filed a public interest petition (PIL) challenging the 93rd constitutional amendment which also provides reservation in admissions to private institutions, to withdraw the petition.

A division bench comprising Justice Ruma Pal and Justice A K Mathur, however, granted liberty to the petitioner VOICE, an NGO, to approach the court when the situation demanded.

Earlier, K V Mohan, counsel for the petitioner, pleaded that mandalisation of private institutes will be detrimental to the interest of the students.

He also cited the case of Tamil Nadu where the percentage of reservation is as high as 69 per cent, saying there should be no reservation in private institutions.

Notably, at present reservation is confined only to government institutions but the Centre and the state goverments are trying to extend it to private institutions also.

At present, there cannot be more than 50 per cent reservation as per the seven-judge bench ruling of the apex court in Inamdar's case which include 22.5 per cent reservation for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students and the remaining for other categories.

UNI