M A I N   N E W S

Sibal restores MP quota in KVs; gives up own
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 7
After being hooted down in Parliament for scrapping the MP quota in admissions to Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs), Human Resources Development Minister today said he had restored the said quota. The minister, however, has abandoned his own MP quota of two admissions to KVs per year and the quota of 1,200 seats he gets as HRD Minister

“I have restored the quota of two seats per MP for admission to KVs. However, my stand on abandoning my own MP quota and that of the HRD minister’s, which is 1,200 seats, remains unchanged. I have to answer parents who tell me they don’t know an MP but want their child to study in a KV. So I have done what I could,” Sibal said today. Earlier in the day, he informed the Rajya Sabha of the restoration of MP quota of two admissions to KV per year. This a day after the issue came up for discussions at the consultative committee meet of parliamentarians on HRD Ministry issues.

Sibal had ended the quota raj after being flooded by requests from all over to admit students to KVs. His predecessor had exhausted the entire ministry quota and Sibal was left with nothing with which to satisfy aspirants.

So in the last KV Sangathan meet, Sibal decided to scrap the quotas - something the MPs did not take very kindly to. They cornered the HRD Minister in both Houses every time an occasion arose. Sibal’s arguments that state-wise quotas were being overstretched did not help the cause, with the minister having to budge under political pressure.