Mumbai: The Supreme Court has refused to vacate the stay on 27 per cent reservation for other backward classes (OBCs) in elite educational institutions like IIMs and IITs, clearing the way for starting the process of admissions to these institutions.

The future of thousands of students has finally been decided at least for this year although it could be big a blow to the government's pro-reservation stance.

The UPA government at the centre wanted a modification on the Supreme Court's March 29 order staying the reservation for OBCs, but the apex court refused the same making it clear that the government should frame the rules first instead of "first trying to play the game and then framing the rules".

The SC had ruled that the 1931 census could not be a determinative factor for identifying the OBCs for the purpose of providing reservation.

The government had moved an application before the same bench of the Supreme Court comprising Justices Arijit Pasayat and L S Panta, which had stayed the quota on March 29, seeking clarification and lifting of the stay.

Meanwhile, the government also issued directives to all IIMs, asking them not to declare the list of selected candidates until further notice.

Going by the existing academic calendar, the IIM admission lists should have been out latest by April 12.

The IIM are waiting for a final order from the ministry of human resource and development to release their admission list for the current academic session.

Once the IIM list is out then many other institutes can also come out with their lists. However, they can release the list only once the HRD ministry withdraws its directive to them.

There was, however, no immediate response from the government.