Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Supreme Court verdict

The Supreme Court judgment abolishing the government quota in unaided private professional colleges and giving complete freedom to the managements to structure their fees and admission procedures is unfortunate. Even though the court has directed that the colleges should not charge capitation fees, the verdict may facilitate free trade in education.

M. Sajid,
New Delhi

* * *

The ban on capitation fee will not have the desired impact because private colleges know only too well how to collect money under different heads.

K. Murlidar,
Chennai

* * *

The verdict has drawn a clear line between private and public India. Looking at the freedom bestowed on the private unaided colleges, one wonders whether the private sector is poised to become an India within India.

T.G. Vittal,
Bellary, Karnataka

* * *

The private unaided colleges should, in recognition of the spirit of the verdict, admit students purely on merit, irrespective of the community they belong to. They should not try to make good the loss of capitation fee by charging exorbitant tuition fees.

R. Thirunarayanan,
Chidambaram, T.N.

* * *

The verdict will be welcomed by all those who have money and merit but fail to get a seat because of the reservation policy. It should serve as an eye-opener for all those who are demanding reservation in the private sector.

R. Ganesan,
Chennai

* * *

The verdict is puzzling. For one, the court has said that committees may be formed to regulate admissions, help institutions fix their fees and guard against the charging of capitation fees. Also, it is not clear who will set up these committees, whether there will be just one Central panel for the entire country or one for every unaided institution, and whether the college managements will have representation on these committees.

If a State Government forms such committees, would this not allow it to meddle in the affairs of the unaided colleges? Such interference may also dilute the institutions' "unfettered right" that the court has very rightly restored.

J. Akshobhya,
Mysore

* * *

Undoubtedly, the apex court's ruling has the potential to increase competition among educational institutions and, in the long run, enhance the quality of education in medical and engineering colleges. The removal of state-imposed quotas should facilitate free flow of students and increase competition.

J.S. Acharya,
Hyderabad

* * *

The verdict is unfortunate as it will further enhance social disparity. If private colleges are allowed to increase the fees without government control, will not the poor automatically be excluded from entering them? The percentage of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students who can afford such costly education is negligibly small.

Amit Babalal Nahar,
Pune

Mountain View, California

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Moving to protect students' interests
Railways must remain competitive
Renewable energy sources coming of age
A nationalist to the core
Race, Islam, and terrorism
"We need inviolate spaces for tigers"
Endangered animals for sale on the Web
A life with no purpose
Dastardly act
Politics of apology
A brave soldier
Supreme Court verdict

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu