News and Views

CPI Member V. Sasi was elected as Deputy Speaker of Kerala Assembly on Wednesday.

Mr. Sasi won 90 against 45 polled by I. C. Balakrishnan of Congress. One vote was declared invalid. Five members including O. Rajagopal (BJP) did not vote. (Two UDF members and one LDF member were absent).

Thiruvananthapuram: The government and managements of 98 self-financing colleges have signed agreement on admissions to engineering courses on Tuesday.

Accordingly, 50 per cent of the seats will be government quota (merit-based). The admissions will be made from the list prepared by the Entrance Commissioner. Admission of students without minimum marks in the entrance examinations will not be permitted.

Public Sector units (PSUs) continued to bleed the government during the year ending March 31, 2015, report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India presented to the Assembly show.

An analysis of the latest finalised accounts of all working PSUs in the State by the Auditor revealed that 50 PSUs earned profit of RS. 498.47 crore in total while 53 PSUs incurred loss of Rs. 889.89 crore. Four working PSUs made no profit or loss while five had not finalised their accounts till September 2015.

Thiruvananthapuram: Members of the United Democratic Front staged a walk out in the Assembly over arrest and jailing of two dalit women—Akhila and Anjana, at Thalassery ten days ago, after Speaker P. Sreeramakrishnan refused permission to move an adjournment motion on the subject.

BJP leader O. Rajagopal also walked out expressing concern over the law and order situation in Kannur district.

Thiruvananthapuram: The Government has rejected the demand for altering norms for admissions to self-financing engineering colleges in the State.

Education Minister C. Raveendranath, who held talks with the college managements, said that norms could not be relaxed with a view to facilitate admissions to vacant seats. The association of college managements said that they would revert after discussions in their executive committee on Tuesday.