The Act is based on some of the recommendations of the Ram Joshi committee report instituted by the government in August 1995.

Almost all the clauses of the Act, like compulsory registration of schools, priority admission for neighbourhood children, admission by lots in case of excess applications, no interview or written test for either the child or his parents, are opposed by school managements.

The minority institutions, the Catholics followed by other linguistic minorities, took exception to the Act. ``The Act takes away the right of minorities to govern their own institution according to their specificationsas well as the right of parents to choose schools of their choice,'' the managements said.

The government decision for suspension came as a jolt especially after its series of meetings with the aggrieved school managements to iron out differences.

``Most of the city MLAs also urged me to suspend the Act as they had received some complaints against the Act. Some school managements had met our supremo and apprised him of their difficulties. I personally never wanted to go for this move,'' Joshi told The Indian Express.

``In view of the opposition to the Act, the call for its suspension is sensible on the government's part,'' said the secretary to the Archdiocesan Board of Education (the umbrella body of all city Catholic schools), Mumbai, Father Denis Pereira. The admission process will start in June, Fr Pereira said.

However, in spite of the suspension of the Act, Archbishop Ivan Dias' commitment to Chief Minister Manohar Joshi stands, Fr Pereira stressed. The commitments mean that unfair practices,particularly in relation to donation, and all forms of testing or interviewing that will cause trauma to the child or the parent will specifically not be resorted to. Fr Pereira, however, clarified that in the latter case, it does not mean that there will be a total ban on interviews. He added, ``Similarly we hope the government will also see that no undue pressure from any quarter is put on our schools during admission time as Archbishop Dias has intimated in his meeting with the CM early this year.''

Balwant P Sheth, the president of the Juhu Parle Education Society (linguistic minority management) which controls Utpal Sanghvi School, is equally pleased and will opt for scrapping of the Act altogether. Member of the Unaided School Forum, Sheth had little sympathy for the Act that was mainly brought to stem the donation menace. He was all for Mahamumbai Shikshan Sanstha Sanghatana's plea for ensuring donation for the survival of those schools that are neither funded by the government nor charge exorbitantfees. However, Utpal Sanghvi School and other private schools have already started admissions loosely based on the Act. This sudden suspension of the Act is not going to influence the admission, Sheth said.

Joshi also dismissed the fear that schools that have already started the admission process will face problems. ``The admission will stand valid,'' he maintained.

The news was far from welcomed by Ram Joshi, principal architect of the Ram Joshi Committee report, part of which was later translated to the Pre-Primary Act. ``The government has surrendered to the pressure tactics of an organised minority of both Catholic and non-Catholic institutions,'' he said.