The Hindu : Front Page : Verdict to be implemented on a war footing: Baby

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Aug 26, 2006

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Verdict to be implemented on a war footing: Baby

Staff Reporter

M.A. Baby allays fears of students and parents.

KOLLAM: Education Minister M.A. Baby has said that the State Government will take all steps to implement the Supreme Court verdict on the self-financing colleges case on a war footing.

Talking to presspersons here on Friday, the Minister said the verdict pertained to admissions to self-financing professional colleges for this year only. The Kerala professional colleges Act, 2006 was coming up for examination before a Division Bench of the High Court in September, he said. ``The verdict is in no way a setback to the Government,'' he added.

The Minister said the verdict had given a big role for the P.A. Mohammed Committee for examining the status of the entrance examination conducted by a consortium of private managements. That meant that the fate of these seats remained uncertain and admission to these seats depended on the findings of the Mohammed Committee. It meant that the Supreme Court had to some extent endorsed the stand of the State Government on the entrance examination conducted by the consortium.

He said the dates for recounselling would be decided in consultation with the officials concerned. Details on the fee structure as part of the verdict were awaited, he said.

Mr. Baby said the verdict gave no room for parents and students to get tensed in any manner.

Chief Minister's reaction

Staff Reporter writes from Palakkad:

Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan said "the State Government will implement the Supreme Court verdict on the self-financing colleges for the time being.''

Inaugurating a public meeting organised by the CPI(M) as part of its nation-wide campaign against policies of the Union Government here on Friday, the Chief Minister said the 50:50 ratio of seats would be implemented by his Government though the self-financing colleges law ensured 85 per cent seats on merit and reservation.

He said the previous Antony Government, which sanctioned self-finance colleges, did not take steps to regulate private college managements and allowed them to charge fees 12 times more than the Government fee. Against this, the Left Democratic Front Government brought in the new self-financing colleges law within a month of its assuming power.

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