Date:14/09/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/09/14/stories/2006091413440400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

GO on student intake in Christian institutions to be withdrawn

Special Correspondent

It said 50 p.c. of seats in schools had to be reserved for members of the community

DEMAND CONCEDED: Minister for Labour and Minority Welfare Iqbal Ansari (right) holding discussions with a delegation of Christians that called on him in Bangalore on Wednesday. — Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

BANGALORE: The Government has decided to withdraw an order stipulating that educational institutions run by Christians should admit 50 per cent of their students from the community considering the fact that they constituted only two per cent of the population.

Minister for Labour and Minority Welfare Iqbal Ansari said here on Wednesday that the Government would withdraw the order. The announcement came after a two-hour meeting with a delegation of Christians led by the nominated Anglo-Indian MLA Ivan Nigli.

The delegation which also had Bernard Moras, Archbishop of Bangalore, told the Minister that the Education Department had issued the order directing the managements of minority institutions to reserve 50 per cent of the total seats in schools and colleges to students of their community. The department had been applying the condition for approval of vacant posts in schools and colleges, they said.

The Supreme Court in its ruling in the T.M.A Pai Foundation case (2001) directed the managements of minority institutions to reserve 50 per cent of the seats in professional courses to students from the community. The Minister was of the view that the court verdict applied only to professional courses.

Mr. Ansari said schools and colleges run by Muslim managements were also facing a similar problem. He would take up the matter with the Law and Education departments and find a solution.

The delegation urged the Minister to appoint a Christian to the Karnataka Public Service Commission. It had been a practice to reserve one seat to the community in the commission. Joss Fernandes, former MP, wanted the Government to reimburse tuition fees of Anglo-Indian students till the tenth standard and set aside two per cent of houses constructed under Ashraya scheme to Christians living below the poverty line. Other demands of the Christians included appointment of community members as chairmen of boards and corporations for a period of one year on rotation, setting up a separate board, on the lines of Wakf Board, for the renovation, maintenance and construction of prayer halls and community halls and withdrawal of 25 per cent of the taxable amount as service charges imposed on minority institutions in Bangalore Mahanagara Palike limits. Mr. Ansari said he would take up these issues with Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy.

On the alleged atrocities on Christians in Dakshina Kannada district, Mr. Ansari said he would request the Minister for Home M.P. Prakash to take stringent action against police officials who had not registered cases against anti-social elements who disturbed peace and communal harmony in the district.

The Minister appealed to the Christian leaders to make use of the schemes and funds provided by the Department of Minority Welfare. A sum of Rs. 83 crore had been set aside for the department this year, he said.