R. ARIVANANTHAM
CHENNAI, OCT 30
A day after the Tamil Nadu government took the executive route to implement a 7.5 percent quota for government school students in undergraduate medical seats, Governor Banwarilal Prohit gave his assent to the bill on Friday.
The bill providing 7.5 percent horizontal reservation to government school students was passed in the state assembly during September and sent to Governor for his assent.
Fed up over the inordinate delay in getting his nod, the government took the executive order, issued a GO on Thursday to implement the reservation during the current academic year itself.
A Raj Bhavan release said the Governor has given his assent to the Bill “Tamil Nadu Admission to Undergraduate Courses in Medicine, Dentistry, Indian Medicine and Homeopathy on preferential basis to the students of Government Schools Bill 2020’’.
The release also said that Governor Purohit had sought the legal opinion of the Solicitor-General of India through a letter dated September 26 and the opinion was received on Friday.
“As soon as the opinion is received, the Governor has given his assent to the Bill,’’ the release said.
Meanwhile, talking to reporters in Ramanathapuram after paying tributes to Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar on the occasion of his Jayanthi, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami said the GO was issued as there was a delay in getting Governor’s nod for the bill.
To ensure that the students from poor and rural backgrounds get access to medical education, the state government had taken the executive route to implementing the reservation during the current academic year itself.
He said the GO was issued to respect the sentiments and beliefs of the government school students and to ensure that they get equal opportunities along with other medical aspirants and to protect social justice.
He also stated that neither the opposition parties nor the public urged the government to issue an order, the government on its own issued the GO for the benefit of the poor students studied in government schools.
EPS thanks Governor for giving assent to quota Bill
On Friday, Palaniswami said efforts were afoot to implement the horizontal reservation from the current academic year itself. He called on Purohit at the Raj Bhavan and thanked him for clearing the bill, which would also help the government overcome a possible legal challenge to the executive route it had taken earlier to implement the quota.
Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar, who accompanied Palaniswami, said the quota was the ”brainchild” of the Chief Minister and the AIADMK government. “DMK cannot take credit,” he told reporters when asked about Stalin stating that Purohit’s approval followed his party’s protest. Stalin was trying to build an illusion and this won’t succeed, he said.
In the past about nine-year AIADMK rule, as many as 3,050 new MBBS seats were created (in government sector) and during the five year DMK rule (2006-11), only 300 seats were added, Jayakumar said adding the announcement on counsellingfor medical admissions could be expected soon.
Opposition parties stake credit claim
45 நாட்கள் கழித்து, கலந்தாய்வுக்கான காலம் நெருங்குகையில், வேறு வழியின்றி 7.5% #Reservation-க்கு ஒப்புதல் வழங்கிய ஆளுநருக்கு நன்றி!
திமுக-வின் போராட்டமும் நீதியரசர்கள் வைத்த மனச்சாட்சி வேண்டுகோள்களும் ஆளுநரின் மனமாற்றத்துக்கு காரணம்.
இறுதியில் வென்ற சமூகநீதி, எப்போதும் வெல்லும்! pic.twitter.com/GTrRdAoGRz
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) October 30, 2020
Stalin claimed Purohit gave his assent to the quota bill as he was left with no other choice and thanked him for giving his nod. His party’s protest and the hope expressed by the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court were behind Purohit’s “change of heart”, he added.
In a tweet, Stalin said the approval came after 45 days and when the time for medical counselling was nearing and the Governor had to approve in view of such factors. Hearing a batch of public interest litigation petitions, a division bench had on Thursday expressed hope that the Governor would take a decision at the earliest.
"7.5% உள் இட ஒதுக்கீட்டிற்கு ஆளுநர் ஒப்புதல்." Thank you His Excellency. 🙏
We deliver when we promise. PM @narendramodi ji believes in development n has always said nation's foundation lies with our students. We shall continue to work for them and make the nation more stronger👍— KhushbuSundar (Modi ka Parivaar) (@khushsundar) October 30, 2020
BJP’s Khushbu Sundar said, “We deliver when we promise.”
PMK chief S Ramadoss said Purohit’s consent was the victory of the people.
The government sought expeditious clearance of the bill since the quota should be implemented from the current year and a group of Ministers too had called on Purohit at the Raj Bhavan recently, amid calls by most political parties for implementing it from this year.
BJP Tamil Nadu unit chief L Murugan had said Purohit should clear the bill immediately, noting the “time taken by him (to examine it) was enough.
#GovernmentOrder:
VCK’s demand has been fulfilled. We had pointed out that government School students can be allotted 7.5% reservation in medical seats through a Government Order alone.I had tweeted the same on 20 August and also issued a press release. We welcome this move. pic.twitter.com/SbTRVivdHt
— Thol. Thirumavalavan (@thirumaofficial) October 30, 2020
The Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi had alleged the BJP- led Centre was not interested in providing reservation to students from poor background.
The Tamil Nadu Government issued GO on Thursday, a day after the Puducherry Chief Minister Narayanasamy announced that his government will take the executive route in case the Lt. Governor delays in giving her nod to give the government’s decision for 10 percent reservation for government schools.
The Chief Minister Mr. Palaniswami in a veiled reference to Opposition DMK said some people were trying to play politics on the issue and it would not succeed.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, while hearing a plea, observed that the Governor should act as per his conscience and give his assent to the bill.
