The Hindu : Kerala News : CPI(M) rejects managements' proposal on fees

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 10, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

CPI(M) rejects managements' proposal on fees

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JUNE 9. The State secretary of the CPI(M), Pinarayi Vijayan, has described as totally unacceptable the self-financing professional college managements' demand for full freedom to admit students to 50 per cent of the seats in their colleges.

Mr. Vijayan, who was reacting here today to the demand made by the representatives of the self-financing professional colleges at the talks which the Government held with them, said that according to the Supreme Court judgement it was up to the Government to decide the number of management seats. The verdict also wanted the admissions to the management quota to be based cent per cent on merit. Again, according to the verdict, the management did not have the right to fix the fees for these seats.

Mr. Vijayan wondered how the managements could in such circumstances demand complete freedom for admitting students to 50 per cent of the seats. He felt that conceding the demand would be tantamount to throwing open the professional education sector to the education merchants for reaping profit. It would deny professional education to the poor students and such a situation could never be accepted.

The CPI(M) leader pointed out that the Union Government's Common Minimum Programme declared that no student should be denied admission on the ground that he was poor. He asked the State Government to take that also into consideration and go in for legislation immediately. The CPI(M) would not accept it if instead of doing so the Government was going to surrender to the commercial interests of the managements.

AKPCTA, AIYF warning

Meanwhile, other sections have also opposed the managements' demand with equal vehemence.

The All Kerala Private College Teachers Association (AKPCTA) warned that if the Government accepted the demand, it would lead to serious fall in standard in the professional education sector. The creation of sub-standard doctors and engineers would lead to crises in the medical and construction sectors in the future. It urged the Government not to deviate from the Supreme Court's guidelines by giving freedom in admissions and fees to the managements.

The AIYF asked the Government not to allow the managements to bypass merit and impose whatever fees it liked even in the management quota. It urged the Government to keep under its control professional education even if it was in the private sector. It warned of serious repercussions if the Government surrendered to the pressure of the managements. If as the managements claimed these institutions would have to be closed down if they functioned according to the conditions laid down by the Government, let them not function.

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