Pinarayi intervenes following Kerala Kaumudi report; move to sabotage Medical, Engineering reservations thwarted

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A move by the lobby of the high-ranking officials to sabotage the chances of backwards-class students in merit and reserved seats by quelling reservations in state medical and engineering admissions at the college level has fallen flat. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan directed the officials to continue with the floating reservation system which has been going on for so long.

The Chief Minister intervened after noticing the report and editorial published by Kerala Kaumudi citing the sabotage. The entrance commissioner released the prospectus for this year's admissions pointing out that the old criteria will continue.

Floating reservation is the facility for a student who is eligible for a seat on state merit and reservation to transfer to a college where he is getting a merit seat and another person who is eligible for that reservation seat to get that seat. A controversy had erupted after Higher Education Principal Secretary Ishita Roy wrote to the Commissioner of Admissions suggesting that institution-level reservation should be implemented instead of floating reservation in government engineering colleges from the coming academic year and the prospectus should be revised for this purpose. The letter also said that this was on the recommendation of the Director of Technical Education. The same mode of reservation is applicable for medical admission as well.

The lobby of officials got approval for the letter by misleading Minister R Bindu. The Entrance Commissioner, who received the letter, also sought a government order to amend the prospectus.

Widespread protests arose after Kerala Kaumudi published a report on March 10 with figures on the loss of reservations to be faced by backward-Muslim sections if the new system is implemented. Many interpreted it as a huge blow from the government during the time of the election. In its editorial, Kerala Kaumudi had demanded that the Chief Minister should intervene to stop the move.