The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Ramadoss for Assembly session to scrap common entrance test

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 30, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Ramadoss for Assembly session to scrap common entrance test

Special Correspondent

Says it is obstructing economically weaker sections from joining college "The recent Constitutional amendment had empowered the States to decide the quantum of reservation."

AGAINST CET: S. Ramadoss, founder of the Pattali Makkal Katchi, flagging off a students' wing rally in Chennai on Thursday.— Photo: K. V. Srinivasan

CHENNAI : The Pattali Makkal Katchi on Thursday demanded a special session of the Assembly to decide the issue of reservation in self-financing professional colleges.

S. Ramadoss, founder, who flagged off a procession organised by students' wing of the party, said the recent Constitutional amendment, which had provided for quotas for socially and educationally backward classes in the educational institutions, had empowered the States to decide the quantum of reservation.

Besides, the States had been allowed to follow their own mode of admission and fee structure. So, the State Government had a big responsibility to fulfil.

The BCs should have the highest share in reservation. The scheme of common entrance test, which acted as an obstacle to a large number of students of economically weaker sections joining the educational institutions, should be scrapped.

The fee structure in the self-financing colleges should be the same as that of government colleges.

The proceeds of the fee levied on the students of the colleges should be deployed only for the purpose of education. The State Government should draft a law, incorporating all the aspects.

"The academic year is coming to a close. The anxiety of students and parents should be ended.

For this purpose, the Government should arrange for convening of a special sitting of the Assembly and make an announcement of scrapping the scheme of CET," Dr. Ramadoss said.

He was addressing the students at the end of the procession taken out from near Munroe's statue to the State Guest House at Chepauk.

He said that as his party had prepared a model law on the reservation issue for adoption by Parliament, it was now willing to carry out a similar exercise for the Assembly.

Earlier, members of the students' wing, led by the party president G.K. Mani shouted raised slogans in support of the ban on the CET.

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