Joshi hauled up on admission lapses

Sena members Suresh Gambhir, Bala Nandgaonkar, Chandrakant Padwal, the BJP’s Kirit Somaiya and Madhav Kinhalkar of the Congress were in high dudgeon today, demanding that the registration of erring schools be cancelled.

Gambhir and Nandgaonkar said the government should immediately initiate disciplinary proceedings against these schools under the Maharashtra Pre-Primary Centres (Regulation of Admission) Act.

Former mayor Chandrakant Padwal, however, felt this act of blatant defiance called for punishment of a far more strenuousnature. He said the government should disconnect water and power supply to these educational institutions.

Samajwadi Party member Sohail Lokhandwala was in favour of a more conciliatory approach. He said if the government attempts to enforce the legislation on minority institutions, it would be a great injustice to on them. Making a statement on the notice, Joshi told the agitated members that his government would not hesitate to initiate action. “We are waiting for the report of the advocate general on certain objections raised by a section of minority institutions,” Joshi said.

Joshi said following representations, the existing law would be amended during the current session itself. Among the proposals is a revision of quotas, from the existing 80 per cent seats for local area students and 20 per cent for the management to 50 per cent each, Joshi said.

Local area norms may be relaxed for children of school employees, of employees of industrial houses which have opened schools and wards of relativesof members of minority schools in the same institution, he added.

Despite the relaxing of certain conditions and reduction in quota for local students, minority institutions, particularly Catholic institutions, have refused to implement the revised guidelines, said the minister. “During a meeting between the CM and Archbishop Ivan Dias, the latter refused to implement the legislation, saying, it was against constitutional principles,” he added.

The archbishop told the CM that Catholic institutions will not implement the legislation as they are protected by minority rights guaranteed under the Constitution, Joshi said. “The objections raised by the archbishop have been referred to the Advocate-General. If the opinion is in the government’s favour, they will have to abide by the law,” he added.

Replying to a question raised by Padwal, Joshi said his government will not hesitate to cancel the registration of erring schools if it was found that they had deliberately ignored the legislation. Of the the1,360 pre-primary centres, only 595 have completed the admission procedure for the ensuing academic session. “Despite the fact that a large number of schools are yet to begin the admission process, I am sure there will be no crisis as has been predicted by the agitated members,” he concluded.