Date:05/01/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/01/05/stories/2007010510180400.htm

Kerala

Go in appeal, says CPI(M)

Special Correspondent

State secretariat describes the court ruling as unfortunate

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The CPI(M) State secretariat has termed unfortunate the Kerala High Court verdict quashing crucial sections of the Kerala Self-Financing Colleges Act.

In a statement here on Thursday, the CPI(M) leadership urged the State Government to go in appeal against the High Court verdict.

It described the Court's decision to quash the provision relating to single window admission system as a setback to students belonging to poor families who wish to gain admission to self-financing professional colleges through the merit list.

Under the Act, the Government had full authority to conduct common entrance examinations to prepare list of students eligible for admission to the professional colleges, the statement pointed out.

The CPI(M) State secretariat also regretted the Court decision to take away the Government's powers to fix the fee that could be levied from the students and said this would gladden only the forces that wanted to commercialise higher and professional education.

It felt that the High Court verdict was disappointing because it had invalidated the provisions of the Act that could have gone a long way to ensure social justice and reservation based on merit.

In a separate statement, the Association of Kerala Government College Teachers (AKGCT) also described the High Court verdict as unfortunate.

The verdict has nullified the efforts of the State Government to check corruption in the running of self-financing professional colleges and ensure social justice.

The Union Government should immediately bring forward a comprehensive legislation to address these issues, AKGCT general secretary P. Muhammed Kunju said.

In separate statements, the Janata Dal (Secular) and JSS (S) State committee also came down on the High Court verdict.

In yet another statement, the Kerala School Teachers' Association (KSTA) general secretary A.K. Chandran said the High Court verdict was opposed to the spirit of the Constitution.

Mr. Chandran called upon all sections of the people in the State to strengthen the hands of the Government in combating the designs of the anti-people forces that were happy with the High Court decision.