UGC blamed for discrimination in University Admissions

[TamilNet, Thursday, 01 January 2004, 15:32 GMT]
The Ceylon Tamil Teachers' Union (CTTU) Thursday wrote to Sri Lanka's President, Prime Minister and Higher Education Minister to take immediate steps to eliminate discrimination in admitting Tamil students to universities in the New Year. The number of Tamil students admitted to universities last year was higher than this academic year, said the CTTU in a memorandum sent to the Sri Lanka government leaders.

The President and General Secretary of the CTTU Messrs S.Thandayuthapani and T.Mahasivam said in the memorandum that Tamils are suspecting that chauvinist elements holding key positions in the Administration of the University Grants Commission (UGC) to be responsible for the discriminatory practices in admissions.

The CTTU said last year about twelve thousand students were admitted to universities. But in the New Year about fourteen thousand students are to be admitted to universities. But Tamil students in the northeast are not going to benefit from the increase of students gaining university admission at the national level this year. Because this year less students from the northeast province are to get university admission.

Earlier the UGC decided to grant admission to 905 students to medical faculties. But this number has been now reduced to 899 and the six students left out from the admission list are from northeast province, the CTTU said in its memorandum.

The benefit of increase of intake to universities at the national level should also be passed on to the Tamil students of the northeast province, CTTU said.

The CTTU will not stand silent and allow the discrimination against Tamil students to continue, the memorandum further said.