BANGALORE, July 6 2010: HRD minister Kapil Sibal may have introduced 25% reservation for under-privileged children in the Right to Education Act, but several institutions run by the Church of South India (CSI) have been practising the system of earmarking 15% seats in for poor students.

From commencing the mid-day meal scheme in their institutions without government support to running schools in slums which are on par with some of the elite schools in the city, CSI institutions have forayed into various initiatives, the Rev S Vasanth Kumar, Bishop of CSI Karnataka, Central Diocese, told TOI on Monday.

MEETING WITH SIBAL ON RTE CLAUSES - Terming Right to Education one of the most progressive actions aimed at universalizing education, Rev Kumar said CSI and the Church of North India have convened a meeting with HRD minister Kapil Sibal on August 2 and 3 to discuss certain clauses in the act.

"Some clauses in the act are contrary to the powers given to us. For instance, we cannot have elected representatives like MPs/MLAs on the boards of our institutions as stipulated by the RTE Act.''

"Even before RTE was proposed, we had a policy of reserving 15% of seats to the economically backward in all our schools. We give scholarships to them. Last year, the Bishop Cotton Boys School alone gave away scholarships worth Rs 58 lakh. We have schools exclusively for the financially weaker sections. We wholeheartedly support the act," Vasanth Kumar said.

CANTERBURY ARCHBISHOP COMING - The Archbishop of Canterbury, the head of Anglican churches across the world, will visit India in October this year. In his first visit to India, the Most Rev Dr Rowan Williams will spend two days in Bangalore meeting religious heads.

The Archbishop was invited to India during a Bishops Council in Lambeth. He will reach south India on October 16 after spending a week in north India. He will travel to Chennai, Vellore, Thiruvananthapuram and Bangalore.

When in Bangalore, he will meet various religious heads. "A scholar himself, he is interested in meeting scholars from other religions. He will meet heads of different religions at the Ecumenical Church, Whitefield, address students of United Theological College at their centenary celebrations and attend an ecumenical meeting at the Bishop Cotton Boys School. He is accompanied by a ten-member team including his wife and son,'' Vasanth Kumar said.

CSI A DEMOCRATIC BODY: Heading the Church of South India is no mean task. But Vasanth Kumar is clear that the Bishop derives his power from the board and the committee. "It is a democratic institution. We have different constitutions for every institution that is run by us. The duties of each individual are mentioned in it. There is an education committee which takes decision on policies related to that institution. "The school constitution is clear on the powers vested with the board for the transfer of its employees.'’

NO DONATIONS/CORPORAL PUNISHMENT: Making it clear that none of the CSI institutions demands donations, he said five years ago, demanding and accepting donations was banned. "We only collect Rs 30,000 towards infrastructure fees and that too only at the beginning of the child's admission into the school.'’

Extending its social arm, the CSI has decided to provide mid-day meals to its schools for under-privileged children. "Nearly 3,000 children are fed every day and we do not depend on the government for contribution. We are promoting computer education. One computer each is given to the institutions run for poor children,'' he said. TNN.