TNN,
Mumbai Edition, 09th July 2008
District-Wise Reservations
Must Be Made, But Junior Colleges Can Get More Seats To
Help Them Comply, Says Minister
Mumbai:
There’s bad news in store for junior colleges
that are choosing to ignore the recent state government
circular calling for 70% reservation of Class XI seats for
local students. The government is determined to go ahead
with the quota for the 2008-09 academic year, despite the
fact that three rounds of admissions have already been completed.
Colleges that don’t comply will be penalised, state
education minister Vasant Purke told TOI on Tuesday. However,
he added that colleges will be allowed to open extra divisions
so that their overall tally meets the 70:30 quota. According
to the quota, 70% of a college’s seats must be kept
for students in its district. While earlier it was announced
that Mumbai had three education districts, the government
clarified on Tuesday that there were only two, the city
and the suburbs.
The government has said that if colleges have not paid attention
to the quota in the first two lists, they will have to in
the later lists. The first merit list was already out and
the second merit list nearly ready by the time colleges
were informed of the 70:30 move. “Colleges will not
have to redo the first two rounds of admission, even if
they have not implemented the 70:30 order in them. But they
must implement the order in the remaining lists,’’
said Purke after a meeting with the chief minister, deputy
chief minister, chief secretary and education secretary
on Tuesday evening. The meeting took place at the chief
minister’s bungalow.
A new cabinet subcommittee has been formed to oversee admission-related
problems. The CM will chair the committee. It was this committee
that decided on strict implementation of the 70:30 policy
on Tuesday.
So keen is the government on implementing the order right
away that it is willing to sanction extra seats, and even
divisions, in colleges which have already admitted less
than 70% local students and must accommodate more students
to get the ratio right.
The 70:30 policy is based on a 2003 government resolution
that aims at ensuring that students are not denied admission
to colleges in their area. “While it’s not a
hard and fast rule, colleges should attempt to implement
it this year. We will scrutinise merit lists and take action
against colleges that have a skewed ratio,’’
said Purke.
