SC dismisses TN Govt's plea to scrap uniform edu system

In a setback to the Jayalalithaa govt in Tamil Nadu, the Supreme Court has rejected its plea for scrapping the uniform education system brought in by the earlier DMK govt and directed its immediate implementation.

Honouring the Supreme Court verdict on the uniform education system, Tamil Nadu government today said it would implement it from the current academic year itself.

Soon after the apex court gave its verdict, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa announced in the state assembly that her government would implement the Uniform System of Education (Samacheer Kalvi).

The AIADMK, after assuming office in May last, had decided to defer the implementation of the system brought in by the previous DMK regime on the plea that textbooks prepared for the system needed a thorough change.

Some parents and educationists moved the Madras High Court seeking a direction from the court for the implementation of the system from the current academic year.

The court accepted the plea of the petitioners and directed the state government to implement the system from this year itself.

A division bench of the court also upheld the decision following which the Jayalalithaa government appealed to the Supreme Court.

Welcoming the verdict, DMK chief M Karunanidhi said the apex court had taught a "fitting lesson" to the AIADMK government.

"If such a verdict had come during the DMK regime, Jayalalithaa would have demanded my resignation. But I do not want to make such a demand. At least hereafter Jayalalithaa should give up adamant attitude in issues like this and change her attitude", he said.

Karunanidhi urged the people to celebrate wholeheartedly the Supreme Court verdict.

The Supreme Court has dismissed the state's plea that the Uniform System of School Education (Amendment) Act brought into force by the DMK government was sub-standard, lacked quality and was politically motivated

A three-judge bench of justices J M Panchal, Deepak Verma and B S Chauhan on Tuesday dismissed the state's plea that the Uniform System of School Education (Amendment) Act brought into force by the DMK government was sub-standard, lacked quality and was politically motivated.