Hassan Cheruppa Saudi Gazette JEDDAH – Admissions to the International Indian School-Jeddah (IISJ) for the new academic year would be fully under the close observation and control of the Consulate General of India, it was stated here on Wednesday. Jeddah Keralites Forum (JKF) leaders told Saudi Gazette that they had received assurance in this regard from Consul General Faiz Ahmed Kidwai during a meeting at his office Tuesday evening. During the meeting, JKF leaders asked Kidwai to make the admission process transparent and flawless. In a memorandum, they also urged the consul general to take steps to avoid a repeat of malpractices that were reported during last year's admission. The school authorities recently issued a circular about admission procedures for the new academic year. According to the circular, admissions will be restricted to LKG, UKG and a few seats in class 1. The circular says admissions will be by a draw of lots. Reacting to the JKF demand to give admissions to all available seats in classes 2 to 12, the consul general assured that he will give necessary instructions to the school officials, said P.P Raheem, general convenor of the JKF. The JKF leaders met Kidwai to discuss the delay in holding school managing committee elections following a report appeared in Saudi Gazette. “The consul general informed us that all procedures are under way to hold free and fair elections as early as possible,” Raheem said. IISJ Principal and Election Commissioner Syed Masood Ahmed earlier said that the school authorities are awaiting clarifications of certain provisions in the 2006 Charter from the Ministry of Education before completing the election process. While urging Kidwai to make the admission process transparent and flawless, the JKF leaders alleged that last year lots were drawn only for 50 percent of the seats. The chairman and members of the nominated managing committee purportedly shared the remaining seats for their friends and relatives, they claimed. The JKF leaders also noted that the current chairman is still holding the post in violation of the provisions after expiry of his one-year tenure. The JKF delegation that met Kidwai included P.P Raheem, V.K.A Rauf, K.T.A Muneer, Kunhavutty A. Qader, P.M.A Jaleel and Zakir Hussain Edavanna.
