Kerala - Thrissur   

Laws enacted to uphold values: Baby

Staff Reporter

`Merit and social justice are paramount'

THRISSUR: Education Minister M.A. Baby said here on Friday that it was the responsibility of an elected Government to enact laws to protect the values of equity and justice, and those who start educational institutions in the State should recognise these basic principles of democratic governance.

Inaugurating the yearlong diamond jubilee celebrations of Sree Kerala Varma College, the Minister said the Government would not be cowed down by accusing it of `raising the voice of threats.'

The Minister said the practice of giving bribes for appointments and admissions to private colleges had ended in Kerala due to the intervention of progressive movements.

It is in this State that some people are now clamouring for unbridled rights to run professional educational institutions by accepting huge capitation fees.

Concerted efforts have been made during the last five years to transform the educational sector in the State into an arena of black-marketing. Merit and social justice should be prime concerns while selecting students for higher education. It is not fair to argue that there should be special protection for those who have money, in the educational sector.

The Education Minister said it was true that the missionaries have done great services for the spread of education in Kerala. But those missionaries never clamoured for minority status or that the law of the land should not be made applicable to the institutions run by them.

The Government was willing to render any help to all those who follow the lofty ideals of those missionaries.

The religious and community leaders should actually be allying with the Government when it was trying uphold values in the education sector, the Minister said.

Sculptor Kanayi Kunhiraman released the logo of the jubilee celebrations. Mayor R. Bindu; Cochin Devaswom Board president M.A. Krishnanunni; dancer Usha Nangiar; and Principal R. Gopalakrishnan also spoke on the occasion.

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