Management quota cannot overlook merit: UP

State universities told to ensure that all affiliated colleges offering professional courses follow the same principle...

Extending state policy to the 8216;other quota8217;, the Uttar Pradesh Government has directed all private educational institutes to ensure that merit should be the sole criterion for availing admissions under the management quota. A Government Order to this effect came into being on May 26.

8216;8216;Our GO is for all such education centres that are offering degrees in engineering, medical sciences and other professional courses. We have directed them to fill their management quota seats strictly on the basis of merit,8217;8217; confirmed state higher education minister Ram Asrey Vishwakarma.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Vishwakarma said 8216;8216;The government has taken this decision after considering a Supreme Court order in the case of PA Inamdar vs the state of Maharashtra in August 2005, in which the apex court observed merit should be given the highest priority for admissions to educational institutions.8217;8217;

The government has also directed the state universities to ensure that all their affiliated colleges offering professional courses follow the same principle. They have been told to move court if a college violates the directive.

8216;8216;Though a written order from the government hasn8217;t come to us, once it arrives we will ensure that admissions to professional courses offered by our affiliated colleges are made on the basis of merit only,8217;8217; Lucknow University Vice-Chancellor Prof R S Yadav said.

The B.Ed course being offered by four private colleges affiliated to Lucknow University will also get affected by the GO by virtue of being a professional course. The Karamat Degree College and the Unity College have reserved 50 per cent of their B.Ed seats under management quota, whereas the figure is 15 per cent for Rama College and College of Education.

Senior officials at the Higher Education department welcomed the news, saying the decision would go a long way in checking the practice of fleecing huge amounts of money from prospective students to grant admissions in the name of management quota.