The Hindu : Protect quotas in colleges, Congmen. tell Govt.

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Apr 15, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka-Bangalore

Protect quotas in colleges, Congmen. tell Govt.

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE APRIL 14. The Government, which is yet to work out the seat sharing and fee structure formula with private professional college managements, today came under pressure from senior Congress leaders against compromising on 50 per cent reservation for SC, ST, and OBC students in admissions.

Through plain words of advice to the Government, the President of the State unit of the Congress, Janardhana Poojary, said that it could not sacrifice social justice while working out the seat-sharing formula for professional courses.

However, the Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, D.B. Chandre Gowda, indicated that the Government might not be able to ensure 50 per cent reservation in admissions to professional colleges.

Mr. Poojary, who was speaking on the occasion of the B.R. Ambedkar birthday celebrations organised by the KPCC, said the Government should heed the criticism that a good number of professional colleges in the State were being run by Congressmen.

It was being said that the managements would not allow the Common Entrance Test for admissions to be held and were against social justice in admissions. Mr. Poojary, who is a member of the Rajya Sabha, favoured the enactment of a law to provide for social justice in admissions to professional colleges. He was ready to take up the matter with the chief ministers of all States. The Congress should be prepared to agitate for amending the Constitution, if it was felt necessary, he added.

The Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna, had left the meeting by the time Mr. Poojary spoke. However, Mr. Chandre Gowda, who heads the Cabinet subcommittee on implementing the October 31, 2002 judgment of the Supreme Court on education, was present.

Speaking earlier, the former Chief Minister, M. Veerappa Moily, too favoured the adoption of a law to safeguard 50 per cent reservation for SC, ST, and OBC students in admissions to professional colleges. The Government should adopt the law, and thereupon urge the Centre to include it in the Ninth Schedule to the Constitution, making it non-justiciable.

Mr. Chandre Gowda, who had spoken before Mr. Poojary, reacted to the suggestion of only Mr. Moily.

He made it clear that as the Law Minister, he could not go against the Constitution and the judgment of the Supreme Court on education (minority and non-minority institutions, and aided and unaided professional colleges) while ensuring 50 per cent reservation.

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