Institutes will continue to fill 50 pc management seats

Minority Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) institutions will continue to fill 50 per cent management quota seats at the institution level.

Minority Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) institutions will continue to fill 50 per cent management quota seats at the institution level.

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Though a Government Resolution (GR) of July 2008 allows linguistic and religious minority institutions to fill 50 per cent seats at institution level, director of Higher and Technical Education had, on April 6, issued a circular directing all B.Ed. colleges to fill all their seats through Common Admission Process (CAP).

Thirteen institutes from various places, including St Xavier’s Institute of Education in Mumbai, had challenged the circular before the Bombay High Court on the ground that it deprives the minority institutions from admitting students belonging to minority communities as provided in the GR. SC Naidu, arguing for St Xavier’s Institute of Education, had contended that though the GR specifically allows minority institutions to fill 50 per cent seats at institution level, one man (the director) was trying to undo what the government had decided.

Government pleader M.D. Naik, however, pointed out that the director's circular does not override the GR and all seats mentioned in the circular meant only the remaining 50 per cent seats — to be filled through CAP and not the management quota seats.

The judges noted that the circular facilitated its purpose by centralising admission to BEd course to which the Maharashtra State B.Ed. Centralised Admission Process Rules for 2010-2011 have been framed.