Constitution doesn't allow 7.5% quota for govt school students: Madras HC

The first bench of the Madras High Court, on Thursday, March 3, asked whether the Constitution can be re-written in order to provide 7.5% reservation to students from government schools in Tamil Nadu, in the matter of admission in medical courses.

The court was hearing a batch of public interest litigations (PILs) and writ petitions challenging the legislation of the previous AIADMK government providing reservation for students from government schools. The bench of Chief Justice MN Bhandari and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy orally observed that the Constitution may require re-writing to suit the provision of such a reservation based on institution-wise study.

While some petitions questioned the legality of the legislation, others sought the extension of the benefit to the students studying in government aided schools as well. Few others wanted the government to include private and minority institutions too in the reservation bracket.

The senior counsel representing the PILs contended that exclusive reservation would affect the opportunity of the meritorious students studying in other types of schools. There cannot be a discrimination and different level of play field to the students studying in government, government-aided and private schools, which imparted the same State Board syllabus and were provided with the same infrastructural facilities, they added. The matter is adjourned till March 17.

The Tamil Nadu cabinet, on August 4, 2021, had resolved to provide 7.5% reservation to students of state-run schools in admission to professional courses, similar to the existing benefit given in medical admission. Further, a Bill in this regard was tabled in the Assembly on August 26, to provide the reservation to students studying in government schools for professional courses like agriculture, law, fisheries and engineering. The previous AIADMK government had provided a 7.5% quota for students of such schools in undergraduate medical courses.

Chief Minister MK Stalin, speaking in the Assembly during the tabling of the Bill, said that the government's move was to ensure that a sizable number of students from rural and village backgrounds with poor means and studying in government schools are provided with the opportunity to enter into professional courses. (PTI)