Govt withdraws draft rules on admission to minority schools

The education department has withdrawn a notification on draft rules pertaining to admissions into minority schools.

Private schools had expressed their opposition to the notification issued on March 19, which laid down draft Karnataka Educational Institutions (School Education) Rules, 2017. According to the said draft rules, minority educational institutions were required to ensure that at least 25% of the total number of students admitted to these institutions belong to either religious or linguistic minority.

Meanwhile, the private schools’ association in a meeting held on Tuesday opposed the draft rules. This was before the withdrawal notification was issued.

MLC Puttanna said that the issue has been persisting for the last seven years. “Previously, it was sought that 75% of the students in a minority school be from the same minority category which was later not implemented. Now, the state has said that it be fixed at 25% of the number of admissions,” he said.

He added that it would be impossible for minority institutions to run schools if the government lays down such conditions. “In each district, the population and people belonging to different castes matter. It is incorrect to generalise in such a case,” he added.

Puttanna said that the proposed rule was against the verdicts of the Supreme Court and the state government had no powers to fix the percentage of seats. He said that the issue should be taken to a logical conclusion.