The Hindu : Front Page : Managements argue for 50:50 quota

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Thursday, Aug 24, 2006

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Managements argue for 50:50 quota

Special Correspondent

Counsel says prospectus clearly stated 50:50 quotas under 2004 Act

New Delhi: The interim order of the Kerala High Court directing the State to maintain 50:50 per cent on quotas between the Government and the managements of private self financing medical, engineering and other professional colleges on admissions for 2006-2007 should not be disturbed, argued counsel for the managements in the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

Senior counsel Harish Salve, appearing for the medical colleges, made this submission before a Bench of Justice K.G. Balakrishnan and Justice D.K. Jain hearing a batch of appeals filed by the Kerala Government challenging the interim order.

Referring to the State Advocate General's submissions that only admissions made prior to July 2 (prior to the enactment of the legislation) could be protected, he said such a proposal could not be accepted.

He said the prospectus issued in January clearly stated that admissions would be based on 50:50 under the 2004 Act and students who took the State Common Entrance Test (CET) were aware that they were competing only for the 50 per cent State quota.

During the course of arguments, senior counsel K.K. Venugopal, appearing for the State, suggested that the hearing be deferred for about two weeks since the Justice Mohamed Committee was to meet to consider complaints regarding the conduct of the CET by the consortium of medical colleges. The counsel also said that since the State had admitted medical students only up to 63 per cent of the total 70 per cent, the private medical colleges could be allowed to admit students to the tune of seven per cent and the Government would have no objection to this.

Mr. Salve told the court that the managements would not accept both the proposals.

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