The State government will appeal against the High Court Division Bench order striking down the 80:20 ratio in the allotment of minority scholarships, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan informed the Assembly on Wednesday.
Replying to questions in the Assembly, the Chief Minister said the matter pertained to the powers of the State government. The government has decided to appeal against the High Court decision on the basis of legal advice obtained in this regard, he said.
‘Needless controversy’
Mr. Vijayan added that some people were trying to stoke a needless controversy over the issue. The people should be on guard against such attempts, he said, adding that all eligible students would continue to get the scholarships.
In May, the High Court had ruled that the State government’s action of sub-classifying minorities and providing the scholarship at an 80:20 ratio was legally unsustainable. The government was also directed to issue orders guaranteeing the scholarships to members of notified minority communities on an equal basis.
Deputy Leader of Opposition P.K. Kunhalikutty said in the Assembly that the present dispute was born out of the introduction of the 80:20 ratio in the recommendations pertaining to the backwardness of a single community. This was a mistake of the Paloli Mohammed Kutty Committee, he said.
‘Not a dispute’
Mr. Kunhalikutty urged the government to take a policy decision for ensuring that the recommendations meant for a particular community are implemented for that community alone.
M.K. Muneer of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) told the government that care should be taken to ensure that the minority scholarship issue is not portrayed as a dispute between two communities.
