l Grants as per State policy, not court’s directive l CM interprets that the SC insists on giving grants only to linguistic minorities, not English l Order does not contradict State MoI policy, can be implemented after studying SC order
TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Manohar Parrikar is not a man who gives up easily. A day after the Supreme Court issued, what Herald called the “Mother of Instructions on MoI”, taking the right away from the state to decide in what language the child should study at a primary level, the Chief Minister, did not quite take on the apex court, but said that right to give grants was his.
“The medium (of instruction) I will concede, but grants I will not give. The government will give grants to only those schools that conformed with the government’s policy”.
You cannot expect government schools to run in a way just because someone wants then to run in any way. The government need not give grants to school beyond the policy,” the chief minister argued adding that the Supreme Court does not say that you have to give grants to English schools but only to those covered under the category linguistic minority. The “someone”, incidentally is the Supreme Court of India.
The Chief Minister’s argument, Herald believes, flies in the face of the SC judgement which has clearly argued why the state, as per its order is legally bound to give grants (See adjoining box).
He also argued that the order validated the policy that was recently adopted by his government. “The Supreme Court decision is in conformity with our MoI policy. (There is) no contradiction between the order and exactly what has been decided by state policy,” he said, stressing that there was no reason why the MoI policy cannot be implemented after examining the SC order.
The chief minister also argued that the issue would come under section 21 A, which says ‘free and compulsory education is as per policy determined by the State’.
“This is my interpretation. But I will send it to the Law department,’ Parrikar said, arguing that linguistic minorities have to be as determined under Art 21A.
According to the Chief Minister, no new English medium or any medium school will be permitted in the current year and after that, mapping will be done and only then will new schools be permitted. Certain parameters such as proper classrooms, proper facilities, proper salary for teachers, would have to be followed before an application is considered.
