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State to write to Centre on Bill

Staff Reporter

Seeking inclusion of Bill in the Ninth Schedule

Education Minister M.A. Baby

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The State Government will seek the inclusion of the recently passed Bill on self-financing colleges in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution, Education Minister M. A. Baby said here on Monday.

Speaking to the media after inaugurating the Students Net programme of the Department of Education at the Gorky Bhavan, here, Mr. Baby said the Bill was firmly based on the directives of the Supreme Court in the Inamdar versus the State of Maharashtra case. In that verdict, the apex court said that admissions to professional courses must be just, transparent and non-exploitative. "Those who oppose this bill also oppose these directives of the Supreme Court. So they must have a hidden agenda. Since the Bill draws its provisions from the directives of the Supreme Court, the Government does not expect the Court to object to the bill."

The opposition to the Bill stems from the adamant nature of some of the managements of self-financing professional colleges. The Government had made up its mind on what to do if the managements went ahead with their threat of closing down the colleges. "We will show them what we have in mind when the time comes," Mr. Baby said.

He said the UDF's opposition to the Bill was nothing but a reflection of the confusion inside the Congress and the UDF over the stand to be taken on the Bill. "Deep down the Congress and the UDF know that this bill is much better than what they brought," the Minister said.

Those who speak highly of the 50-50 concept in the number of seats forget that in the so-called merit seats, a large majority of students who make it are those who can afford expensive coaching for entrance examinations. The other 50 per cent, the management quota is anyway for sale.

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