Government to challenge High Court Ruling

Trivandrum, India, Jan. 29 2003 (INS News) -- The Kerala State cabinet decided to approach the Supreme Court against the verdict of the Division bench of Kerala High Court order, restricting the government quota in two self financing medical colleges to 25% percent from the proposed 50% and temporarily permitted the managements to charge Rs. 1.5 lakhs as annual fee from each student.

"We shall appeal to the Supreme Court against the verdict. The cabinet has also decided to direct the Education Department to closely scrutinise the admission procedures adopted by the Thiruvalla Pushpagiri hospital and Kolencherry Medical Mission to ascertain whether they have violated any norms," Chief Minister A K Antony told reporters, after a cabinet meeting.

The writ petition was filed by the Malankara Orthodax Syrian Christian Medical Mission, Kolencherry and Pushpagiri Medical Society questioning the validity of the government order reserving 5o % of seats to candidates from the merit list prepared by the commissioner of examinations as well as the right of the government to fix fee in respect of those candidates.

Admitting the writ petition the court held Government order as arbitrary and illegal, which came as blow to its professed policy of ensuring equity while sanctioning self-financing colleges freely. Chie Minister harshly criticized the move of unaided professional colleges to approach the court against the government policy.

"It was sheer indecency and unethical to move the court and turn against the government after getting approval to start the colleges. Though they had the right to approach the court, it was wrong on their part to have done so. We had not thought that they would go to court. On our part, the government will do everything possible to implement its policies”, Antony added.

-- Sam Asharaf - South Asia Correspondent in Trivandrum, India
-- To respond to this story or post a follow up e-mail editor@insnews.org