Stalin introduces 7.5 per cent reservation for government school students in professional education

Tamilnadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, on Thursday, introduced the Bill to provide 7.5 percent reservation for government school students in professional education.

“For several years students of government schools competing with private school students are not able to get admission in the courses they desire due to socio-economic inequalities. Similar to 7.5 percent reservation for government school students in medical colleges, the state government decided to provide 7.5 percent reservation for all government school students in all categories in engineering, agriculture, veterinary, fisheries and law colleges and the Bill has been introduced”, said the Chief Minister, after introducing the Bill.

The Bill after it is passed will be called as the Tamil Nadu Admission to Undergraduate professional courses on a preferential basis to students of Government Schools Act, 2021. According to the Act, students who have studied in government schools from sixth standard to higher secondary classes and students of weaker and disadvantaged sections who studied in private schools under Right to Education Act till standard 8 and continued their education from standards 9 to 12 will be eligible to avail the reservation.

Stalin while listing out the percentage of government school students getting admission in various professional courses in the year 2020-21 said that only 0.83 percent of government school students got admission in Anna university. Similarly, 6.31 percent and 0.44 percent of government school students got admission in government engineering colleges and in government aided engineering colleges, respectively.

In other professional courses such as veterinary only 3 percent of government school students got admission, in fisheries only 3.7 percent government school students got admission, in agriculture colleges only 4.89 percent of government school students got admission and in Tamil Nadu National Law University in Tiruchirappalli less than 1 percent of government school students got admission, said Stalin.

The Bill to provide reservation for government school students in professional courses was recommended by Justice D Murugesan commission which was appointed to study the reason for less number of admission of government school students in professional courses.