Date:13/07/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/07/13/stories/2006071309610400.htm

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Popular support sought for professional colleges Act

Staff Reporter

Thiruvananthapuram: The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) State secretariat has called for popular support for the new Kerala Professional Colleges Act, which, it says, will ensure social justice and transparency and give higher education opportunities for meritorious students in unaided professional education sector.

The previous United Democratic Front Government was taken for a ride by managements of unaided professional education institutions, a statement issued by the CPI(M) Secretariat said. Utmost care had been taken to ensure that the Act did not violate the Supreme Court rulings on the issue or the Constitutional provisions. According to the Act, admissions to 58 per cent of the seats in all unaided professional institutions would be on the basis of a common entrance test.

The allegation that the Act went against the interests of minorities was baseless, the statement said.

Under the Act, 50 per cent of those belonging to minorities could study paying Government fees, which was a major achievement, it said.