Kerala - Kozhikode   

Baby: Bill will cover minority institutions

Staff Reporter

Education Minister says what national minority panel did is not `appropriate'

Kozhikode : Education Minister M.A. Baby has said the six self-financing professional colleges which were granted minority status by National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI) will also come under the ambit of the Kerala Professional Colleges (Prohibition of Capitation Fee, Regulation of Admission, and Fixation of Non-Exploitative Fee and Other Measures to Ensure Equity and Excellence in Professional Education) Bill which was referred to the Subject Committee of the Assembly.

Speaking to reporters after inaugurating the afforestation programme organised by the district-level unit of Balasanghom at the Government Model High School here on Saturday, Mr. Baby said the Bill did not seek to accord any special status to the minority colleges in the State. Only that these minority institutions could admit not less 50 per cent of the students from the community that manages the colleges and also need not collect Government fees. However, he maintained that the State Government was not against colleges getting minority status.

Explains position

Replying to queries, Mr. Baby said that what NCMEI did was not `appropriate'. The granting of minority status had been done without consulting the State Government.

The Government had sought two months' time before minority status was granted to any institution. The Commission Secretary met the Principal Secretary (Higher Education) in the State capital on June 12 in this regard.

However, the Commission granted minority status to six colleges after two days. Just like the NCMEI, the State Government was a constitutional empowered body, Mr. Baby said.

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