Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday asked the government to take a decision on retaining or abolishing the quota of 10 seats for each MP with regard to admission in Kendriya Vidyalayas by talking to leaders of all parties. Each MP gets a quota of 10 seats for admission in the Kendriya Vidyalaya located in his constituency, in which any student of the area can be admitted to these schools on his recommendation. During the Question Hour in the Lower House, Congress’s Manish Tewari, K Suresh, Trinamool Congress’s Mahua Moitra and some other members raised the issue.
Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that he understands that there is pressure on public representatives regarding this subject, but it is not a matter of right. He said that once it (quota) was of two seats, which later became five seats and now it is 10. He said that education is basically a state subject. Initially, from the point of view of the employees working in the central sector, there was talk of opening Kendriya Vidyalayas because those employees keep getting transferred.
The Education Minister said, ‘Sitting in this big panchayat, we have to decide whether we will use our authority for a few people or for all. Speaker’s guidance is needed in this regard. On this, Lok Sabha Speaker Birla asked the members whether it (quota) should be abolished if everyone agrees about it? Why keep any special provision? He said that the government has started the process of abolishing the privilege, then everyone should agree on it.
Manish Tewari said that the people sitting here represent 15 to 20 lakh voters and 35 to 40 lakh people live in his parliamentary constituency. MPs have been given quota to recommend 10 seats for admission in Kendriya Vidyalayas, which is causing them a lot of trouble. In such a situation, they request that either it should be increased from 10 to 50 seats or this quota should be abolished. At the same time, Mahua Moitra of Trinamool Congress said that the situation will be difficult if the quota is abolished.