THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Signalling the emergence of a new, secular Kerala, as many as 1.26 lakh school students in the state do not belong to any particular religion or caste. According to the statistics submitted by Education Minister C Raveendranath in the Assembly the other day, a total of 1,24,147 students - from Class I to higher secondary classes - have sought admissions without specifying religion.
Of this, 1,23,630 are studying in Classes I to X, 278 in first-year higher secondary and 239 in second year higher secondary classes. No student admitted to the vocational higher secondary schools left the religion column blank.
The minister’s revelation was in reply to a question by Vamanapuram MLA D K Murali. “This is a happy news. Our country provides for the freedom to live without joining any religion or caste. I didn’t know that a significant number has utilised that freedom,” he said.
The Left legislator feels a secular young generation is on the rise, who wants to give freedom of religion to their children. “I congratulate these parents who have a positive outlook in grooming children. Let the children select their own religion or remain religion-less after they become mature enough,” he said.
MLAs irked over Kitco’s role in school development
T’Puram: Kitco’s involvement in the government plans to establish one school in each Assembly constituency as centres of excellence has kicked up a row. In the Assembly on Wednesday, MLAs lodged their protest with Education Minister C Raveendranath saying the agency has discussed the plans neither with them nor the schools’ PTA concerned. K B Ganesh Kumar MLA alleged large-scale discrepancies in the project implementation and demanded an urgent investigation by the education and finance ministers. IUML parliamentary party leader M K Muneer said he had already brought the matter to the notice of the Education Minister.