Rangasamy Seeks 25% Quota For Pondy Natives In Pondicherry University Courses
In the memorandum, Rangasamy said the demand for reservation had been pending for several decades and reflected the aspirations of the government, people, and student community of the Union Territory.
Puducherry: Puducherry Chief Minister N. Rangasamy on Monday submitted a memorandum to Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan, urging the Centre to ensure reservation of 25 per cent of seats for natives of Puducherry in all courses offered by the Pondicherry University.
In the memorandum, Rangasamy said the demand for reservation had been pending for several decades and reflected the aspirations of the government, people, and student community of the Union Territory. He pointed out that Puducherry had historically faced limitations in access to diverse and specialised higher education compared to other states, and the establishment of a central university was expected to bridge this academic gap.
Tracing the history of the issue, the Chief Minister noted that following sustained demands in the 1990s, the then Vice-Chancellor of Pondicherry University, Dr. A. Gnanam, introduced 25 percent reservation for Puducherry natives in 1997 after consultations with the academic council and executive committee. Initially extended to eight courses, the reservation was later expanded to 18 courses.
However, Mr Rangasamy stated that when several new professional, prestigious, and job-oriented courses were introduced over the years, the reservation was not extended to them, leading to growing dissatisfaction among the youth of Puducherry.
To justify the demand, the Puducherry Assembly had passed a resolution seeking 25 percent reservation in all 64 courses offered by the university. A three-member committee headed by Prof. M. Ramadoss subsequently examined the issue and recommended uniform reservation across all courses.
The Chief Minister noted that this recommendation was accepted by the academic council in 2013â14 and later ratified by the executive council, but no formal decision had been communicated so far.
Rangasamy cited the objectives of the Pondicherry University Act, 1985, which states that the institution was established to fulfil the regional aspirations of the people of Puducherry. He argued that this mandate implied that all academic opportunities created by the university should naturally be accessible to local students.
He also pointed out that reservation for Puducherry students in centrally-funded institutions was not unprecedented. Institutions such as the National Institute of Technology at Karaikal reserve 50 percent of seats for union territories, while Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) has been reserving 25 per cent seats for local students since 1964. Pondicherry University itself already follows this practice in 18 courses.
Emphasising that the university enjoys academic and administrative autonomy under its founding Act, Mr Rangasamy said it had the authority to extend reservation across all courses once approved by its statutory bodies. He appealed to the Vice-President to take a compassionate view and initiate effective measures to ensure 25 percent reservation for Puducherry natives in all existing and future courses at the university.