Karnataka - Gulbarga   

Abolishing the CET will be foolish: Dharam Singh

Special Correspondent

`Government playing into hands of college managements'

GULBARGA: Former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly N. Dharam Singh on Thursday opposed any move to abolish the Common Entrance Test for admission to professional courses.

The Government in the interest of students, particularly those belonging to oppressed sections, should reject the recommendations of the High Power Committee appointed to ascertain whether the CET should be continued or not.

Mr. Dharam Singh told The Hindu that the CET conducted in the State for the past several years had been a model for other States and abolishing it would be a foolish act, which would be opposed by students and the Congress.

He said the Common Entrance Test ensured social justice to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and other backward classes in getting their share of seats in professional education.

Accusing the Janata Dal (Secular)-Bharatiya Janata Party Government of doing everything to undo the steps taken by the previous Congress Governments, Mr. Singh said not only the number of seats under the government quota had come down this year, but also the fee structure had been increased.

He charged the State Government of playing into the hands of private managements running the professional colleges. "The reactionary forces in the BJP which is opposed to the social justice in admission the professional colleges is behind the move to abolish the CET," he added.

The Congress would apprise Governor T.N. Chaturvedi during their agitation in front of the Raj Bhavan on May 14 about the dangers of abolishing the CET.

Mr. Singh said the Janata Dal (S) which was afraid of BJP gaining an upper hand in the urban local body elections in the State, was creating legal hurdles in the conduct of the local body elections by seeking more time before the High Court to conduct the elections.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Abolishing the CET will be foolish: Dharam Singh
`Commissioner stalling inspection'
BJP files complaint against preacher in Gulbarga

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu