Remove bottlenecks: Antony exhorts Self-Financing colleges

Kochi, May 29 (UNI) Defence Minister A K Antony has urged the managements of private self-financing engineering and medical colleges to cooperate with Kerala Government to remove bottlenecks in the professional education sector in the state.

Addressing a gathering after inaugurating the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the Kerala Students' Union students' wing of the Congress party last night, Mr Antony said the concept of the private self-financing colleges was introduced by the previous UDF government to usher in a change in the education sector.

'' Kerala has huge human resource and there was an urgent need for more professional colleges in the state. The world was changing and it was important that the state also followed suit,'' he added.

Mr Antony said the managements of the private professional colleges should cooperate with the ruling LDF government to iron out any differences.

He said the government was slowly moving towards the 50:50 formula for admissions to these colleges whereby half of the seats would be retained by the managements and rest given to the government.

Mr Antony said the Union should work towards establishing units in all colleges and institutions in the state.

He said college campuses was facing the menace of religion and caste discrimination and the problems emananting from them. KSU should be able to combat that with concerted efforts.

Speaking on the occasion, Oppostion Leader Oomen Chandy said KSU was always at the forefront of highlighting students' issues in its long and illustrious history.

'' KSU which gave a recognition to campus politics thereby giving acceptance to its leader,'' Mr Chandy said.

In the function, past KSU presidents were felicitated and KPCC President Ramesh Chennithala, KSU President Hybee Eaden and other leaders were present on the occasion.

UNI