UDF sub-committee to revamp education

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, MAY 26. The UDF High Power Committee (HPC) today set up a sub-committee, headed by the Education Minister, Mr. Nalakath Soopy, to examine the various issues in the Education sector, including the need to sanction unaided and self-financing educational institutions.

The sub-committee will include the former Education Ministers, Mr. E.T. Mohammed Basheer and Mr. T.M. Jacob. Mr. C.F. Thomas, Mr. P.P. George, Mr. Rajan Babu, Mr. A.V. Thamarakshan and Mr. Ganesh Kumar would be the other members. The new UDF convener, Mr. Oommen Chandy, would be the convener of the sub-committee.

Addressing a press conference, along with the outgoing UDF convener, Mr. K. Sankaranarayanan, Mr. Chandy said there were several problems in the education sector, including those related to the start of the academic year. The Education Minister would identify the problems after holding a review with the officials concerned. The sub-committee would hold its first meeting on May 30 and submit its report at the UDF HPC's next meeting to be held on June 5 at 11-30 a.m.

In reply to a question, Mr. Chandy said that the LDF's wrong policies had pushed Kerala behind in the fields of higher and technical education. The UDF would promote unaided and self- financing institutions which would offer modern courses. When asked whether the UDF would jettison the Nayanar's Government's decision to allow a major role to the cooperative sector in education, Mr. Chandy said the UDF did not have a prejudiced perception on this and those cooperative institutions which were capable of running educational institutions would be given all support.

He, however, alleged that the CPI(M) had followed a policy of double standards. It had opposed a medical college in the cooperative sector, but later went on to do the same by opening more professional institutions in the sector and allowing Government autonomous institutions to do likewise.

In reply to another question, Mr. Chandy said he had opted out the race for a Cabinet posting because he did not want to become a Minister in a controversial manner. The controversy, he said, was the outcome of the ground situation and was not the making of any one. He, however, appreciated the sentiments expressed by Mr. Antony and Mr. Karunakaran about his non-inclusion.

Earlier in the press conference, Mr. Sankaranarayanan said Mr. Chandy would take over as the UDF convener, as per the decision of the party high command and the KPCC. He was sure that the UDF convenership was in the able hands of a person who had proved his mettle in all fields, with a rare kind of maturity borne out of his close association with the people.

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