PUDUCHERRY: Opposing the move of the government to permit establishment of private universities, AIADMK legislature party leader A Anbazhagan on Wednesday sought the intervention of the President for appropriate action in this regard.
In a memorandum to the President with copies to the Prime Minister, Union Home Minister, Health Minister and Lt Governor, Anbazhagan said a cabinet meeting under Chief Minister V Narayanasamy on October 14 gave its nod for the setting up of private universities in the Union territory. The Private Universities Bill has been finalized for seeking the approval of the Ministry of Home Affairs for introducing it in the legislative assembly.
“This Bill is being brought mainly to enable the existing three medical colleges to set up private universities,” he said. In such a case, the government quota MBBS seats presently being provided by the three colleges will be totally stopped. Already, the other four medical colleges have become deemed to be Universities and they are not providing any seats after the introduction of NEET. Hence the government cannot get a single MBBS seat from the seven private medical colleges for students of the Union territory.
The decision of the government to allow private universities is fraught with danger, he said. If the bill was enacted and private universities come into existence, all the private medical and engineering colleges will become constituent colleges of the university and there will be no requirement to give seats to the government by any college, he said. This would deprive hundreds of students from Puducherry of their long cherished dream to become doctors.
The efforts of the Puducherry government should, therefore, be nipped in the bud, he said. "It is inexplicable to understand why a small Union territory requires a private university. This Union territory already has one Central University and some more universities like Agriculture University and Law University are also coming up under the government sector. In such a situation, the enactment of the Private University Bill is not warranted. In the event of establishment of private universities, a situation will arise when no college allots any seat to the government. Therefore, we strongly object to the proposal," he said.
“These nefarious activities of the colleges are abetted and aided by the Congress government which is ruling Puducherry with the help of the DMK. By putting the public interest on the back seat, the rulers are amassing wealth and in the process they are causing enormous damage to the quality of education and therefore this decision has to be stopped forthwith,” charged Anbazhagan.
He also urged the Prime Minister to suitably instruct the Lt Governor of Puducherry to ensure that appropriate legislation is enacted for allotment of 50 percent seats to the government by all medical colleges including deemed universities.