Press Releases Archive

Lok Satta welcomes single entrance Exam for professional courses

The Lok Satta Party today wholeheartedly welcomed the Union Government move to hold a single national entrance examination for admission to engineering, medical and commerce courses.

The proposal made by Union Human Resources Development Minister Kapil Sibal is long overdue, said Lok Satta leaders Katari Srinivasa Rao, V. Laxman Balaji and V. Vijayender Reddy at a media meet here today. A single examination would spare students from appearing for multiple examinations at multiple centers.

The Lok Satta leaders pointed out that nowhere in the world a regional approach to higher education is adopted in a federal country.

The Andhra Pradesh Government should lap up the proposal as it confers immense benefit on State students.

The Lok Satta leaders recalled that the Supreme Court had more than two decades ago ruled that all colleges offering professional courses should earmark 15 percent of their seats to students from all over the country. Andhra Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir are the only two States which are not implementing the Supreme Court directive. Since Andhra Pradesh does not allocate 15 percent of seats in its colleges to outsiders, professional colleges in other States are denying the reservation to Andhra Pradesh students.

The skewed Andhra Pradesh policy has been doing immense harm to Andhra Pradesh students. Andhra Pradesh students have demonstrated over the years that they outshine students from other States in all competitive examinations for admission to professional colleges. For instance, they have been bagging a disproportionate share of seats in Indian Institutes of Technology because of the rigorous coaching they undergo and other reasons.

For instance, of the 30,000 seats in medicine in India, about 4500 seats are open for competition to students from all over the country. Since Andhra Pradesh does not throw open about 450 of the nearly 3000 medical seats in the State for outsiders, Andhra Pradesh students are denied the opportunity of competing for the 4500 seats elsewhere in the country. Similarly, they have not been able to get admission in some of the prestigious engineering colleges outside the State.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010 - 16:43

Lok Satta opposes SC status to Dalit Christians and Muslims

The Lok Satta Party today termed the Andhra Pradesh move to extend Scheduled Caste status to dalit Christians and dalit Muslims through a Constitutional amendment as impractical and undesirable.

Talking to the media, party leaders Katari Srinivasa Rao, V. Laxman Balaji and E. Chennayya said the State Government move to include dalit Christians and dalit Muslims among SCs would only fan flames of hatred among castes and religions.

Instead, the quota of dalit Christians under Backward Classes C category could be increased in proportion to their population, instead of limiting it to one percent as at present.

The spokespersons recalled the Lok Satta Party President and legislator Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan had opposed the August 25, 2009 resolution in the Assembly recommending inclusion of Dalit Christians among SCs. Backward Muslims, including dalits, too could be provided a quota under the BC category. Dalit Christians and dalit Muslims included in the BC category should be extended all the rights enjoyed by SCs.

The Lok Satta leaders emphasized that reservations provided only temporary relief and not a panacea to people’s problems. A real solution lies in the Government ensuring quality education, health care, livelihood skills and employment opportunities to all, irrespective of their accident of birth in a certain caste or religion.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010 - 18:17

Publish white paper on funds’ allocation District-wise: Lok Satta

The Lok Satta Party today demanded that the Government publish a white paper on development expenditure region and district wise since the formation of Andhra Pradesh. The white paper should include expenditure on sectors like education, health care, employment, industry, irrigation and agriculture and power.

Talking to the media, party leaders Katari Srinivasa Rao and V. Laxman Balaji regretted that the Government had failed to douse the flames of hatred among people of different regions of the State by dispelling their doubts and suspicions. As a result, ignorant and gullible people were being taken for a ride by interested parties. The regional tensions had crippled economic development, they pointed out.

The Lok Satta leaders also demanded that the Government revive the district councils, which were in vogue before 1973, and allocate funds district wise. They wanted the Government to be realistic in its budget considering the precarious State finances.

The party leaders appealed to the Government to expedite the inquiry into incidents of violence on the Osmania University campus and punish the guilty.

Monday, February 15, 2010 - 16:35

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