The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Debate implications of order on quota: Ramadoss

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Aug 14, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Debate implications of order on quota: Ramadoss

Special Correspondent

PMK ready to wage struggle for restoring students' benefits

CHENNAI: : Even while calling for a legislation at the national level to ensure social justice for the poor and continuation of the government quota in unaided higher educational institutions, PMK founder leader S. Ramadoss on Saturday urged democratic and political organisations to start a major struggle to bring back the benefits students enjoyed earlier.

The PMK is prepared to dedicate itself to waging such a struggle and working to gather support for it, Dr. Ramadoss said in a statement.

Reacting to the Supreme Court's judgment on Friday doing away with reservation system and the government quota in unaided professional colleges, Dr. Ramadoss said it had sent shockwaves throughout the country. Its implications should be debated at national and regional level forums.

The latest judgment had also led to more ``complications,'' as it seemed to go against reservation for weaker sections, he said.

Noting that only a larger Bench of the Supreme Court could review an order of a seven-member Bench, he said in a democracy only a duly elected Legislature should enact laws. Courts must review them. Democracy would be weakened if courts ordered replacement of laws, he said.

In a largely private sector-driven field of higher education, getting admission in professional colleges was becoming increasingly difficult for the weaker and poorer sections. The Government was duty-bound to interfere and set right the imbalance. There was, therefore, a need for a new law to ensure the continuation of reservation and government quota in private institutions.

"The Union government, we understand, has circulated to the State Governments a draft law for a uniform professional education policy for the entire country. The State Government also would have received it. If so, the State Government should make it public and initiate a debate among all political parties before giving its own comments on the draft law to protect communal reservations and thus the interests of students from among BC/MBC/SC/ST and other poorer sections. It should also try to elicit the support of other State governments for this law."

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