HYDERABAD: The Andhra Pradesh and Telangana governments are at it again. They have crossed swords, this time, over admissions to the National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Warangal. While the AP government is demanding common admissions to students from both the States, its TS counterpart is insisting on a quota of 50 per cent seats to Telangana students.
Telangana State Education Minister Kadiam Srihari on Tuesday submitted a memorandum to Union Human Resource Development Ministry secretary (higher education) Satyanarayan Mohanty, demanding 50 per cent seats to Telangana students.
Speaking to reporters in Delhi after meeting the HRD secretary, Srihari argued that NIT is a Central government institution and Article 371(D) of the Constitution would not be applicable to it.
“The NIT guidelines also say that 50 per cent seats should be allocated to the home state. Since the NIT is in Telangana, 50 per cent seats should be allotted to our students as per the NIT guidelines,” he said.
Contending that Section 95 of the AP Reorganisation Act too says the same, he accused AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu of hatching a conspiracy to grab seats in NIT. “Naidu has been using his influence at the Centre to get NIT seats for AP.
Naidu should instead seek creation of supernumerary seats for AP students in other NITs,” he suggested and warned that the Telangana government would launch a legal and political battle if the Centre buckles under pressure from Naidu.
However, he agreed that AP students should not ‘suffer’ and felt the Central government should create supernumerary seats in various NITs in the country for their benefit. At least, till AP gets its own NIT.
Sec 93 of the Act says
The Central Government shall take all necessary measures as enumerated in the 13th Schedule for the progress and sustainable development of the successor States within a period of ten years from the Appointed Day (June 2, 2014).
The 13th Schedule says the Centre will take steps to set up institutions of national importance in 12th and 13th plan periods in AP. This includes an IIT, NIT, IIM, IISER, central university, petroleum university and agriculture university - these two give scope for AP to demand seats in NIT for the next 10 years.
Between The Lines
Sec 95 of the AP Reorganisation Act says: “In order to ensure equal opportunities for quality higher education to all students in the successor States, the existing admission quotas in all government or private, aided or unaided, institutions of higher, technical and medical education in so far as it is provided under Article 371D of the Constitution, shall continue as such for a period of 10 years during which the existing common admission process shall continue.” — the word Central institutions is not mentioned here.