PUDUCHERRY: The Puducherry CENTAC Student Parents' Welfare Association has appealed to the Union Territory government to introduce a 10% internal reservation in all professional and higher education courses for students from government schools. Already the government has introduced 10% quota for government school students for MBBS studies.
A statement issued by association president M Narayanasamy said that although the pass rate among government school students in the CBSE Class 12 public examinations was high this year, their actual marks—especially in subjects like science and mathematics—were significantly lower compared to their peers in private institutions. This disparity, he said, severely limits their chances of securing admission to professional courses through the Centralised Admission Committee (CENTAC) .
Highlighting the model adopted by neighbouring Tamil Nadu, where a 7.5% internal quota is provided to government school students in higher education, along with fee concessions, the association urged Puducherry to adopt a similar policy. “The government should act swiftly by convening a cabinet meeting to implement a 10% internal quota for government school students across all professional courses this year,” Narayanasamy said.
He warned that failure to introduce such a reservation could lead to a further decline in enrolment in government schools, while private school admissions continue to surge. The association has submitted its request to the Lieutenant Governor, chief minister, and education minister for immediate consideration.