The Hindu : Front Page : DPA seeks law to continue quota system

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Sunday, Aug 14, 2005

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DPA seeks law to continue quota system

Special Correspondent

Centre will be urged to pass legislation in current Parliament session

CHENNAI: : The Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA), led by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, on Saturday urged the Centre to bring forward "suitable amendments to law" to ensure continuance of the present reservation system for self-financing professional colleges in the private sector.

Releasing the resolutions adopted at a DPA meeting here, DMK president M. Karunanidhi said its MPs would call on the Prime Minister and the Union Law Minister in Delhi on Tuesday and press for passing the legislation in the current Parliament session itself, in the wake of the Supreme Court judgment.

The DPA demanded a Central legislation as it would be applicable to all the States, Mr. Karunanidhi said.

It would also help to steer clear of dangers posed to social justice, besides preventing the eventuality of the judgment triggering the process of giving the go-by to reservation.

About unaided private colleges challenging such legislation, he said if the Government was firm in that education should not be commercialised, it need not fear such things. He attributed the prevailing scenario, where a large number of seats were lying vacant in professional colleges despite implementation of the reservation policy in the State, to "confusions" in the Education Department.

Mr. Karunanidhi, in separate letters to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance, Sonia Gandhi, said implementation of the Supreme Court's verdict would affect the interests of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes.

The DPA meeting also urged the Election Commission to take action against those involved in the submission of bogus applications in bulk to include names in the rolls.

K. Anbazhagan, DMK general secretary; G.K. Vasan, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president, S. Ramadoss, Pattali Makkal Katchi founder; N. Varadarajan, State secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist); D. Pandian, State secretary of the Communist Party of India; L. Ganesan, chairman of the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and K.M. Khader Mohideen, State president, IUML; attended the meeting.

Later in the night, the DPA leaders addressed a public meeting in the City.

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