Ramesh's remarks put govt in embarrassing situation: Sibal

LUDHIANA: Union HRD minister Kapil Sibal on Sunday said the controversial statements by his cabinet colleague Jairam Ramesh against Home Ministry had put the government in an "embarrassing" situation.

"There is a difference between a well educated and a wise man. Such statements put the government in an embarrassing situation," the minister said when asked about the recent comments of the Union Environment Minister against Home Ministry in relation to China.

Ramesh, while talking in Beijing about the India-China warmth developed during the Copenhagen Summit on Climate Change, had suggested that the Home Ministry needed to be "much more relaxed" in its approach to Chinese investments in India.

He had said that the security establishment was putting "needless" restrictions on Chinese investments in India as "we are imagining demons where there are none".

The remarks had evoked quick condemnation in the country and Home Minister P Chidambaram had shot off a strongly worded letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the remarks against his ministry. Ramesh was reprimanded by Singh.

About the initiatives of the HRD ministry, Sibal said the Centre was all set to increase number of seats in professional colleges to have more doctors, engineers and technicians.

On the sidelines of a function here he said, "We want to check colleges running with capitation fee. To achieve this, we are going to increase seats in professional colleges so that students need not pay donations to get admissions."