Date:09/05/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/05/09/stories/2006050910800400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Minister convenes meeting on professional college admissions

Staff Reporter

Shankaramurthy to meet Leaders of the Opposition in the legislature tomorrow

Advocate-General Uday Holla to attend
It will discuss issues related to admissions to professional courses

Final note from Law Department on draft rules expected soon

BANGALORE: The Government has convened a meeting with the Leaders of the Opposition in the legislature on Wednesday to discuss issues connected with the process of admission to professional colleges. The meeting, which will be attended by Advocate-General Uday Holla, will explore ways of helping meritorious students, who will be left with fewer seats this year.

Minister for Higher Education D.H. Shankaramurthy told presspersons here on Monday that the Government was expecting a final note from the Law Department on the draft rules framed under the Karnataka Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admission And Determination of Fee) Bill, 2006.

The objective of the Bill, which has been passed by the legislature, is to provide reservation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other backward classes in professional colleges from the current academic year.

The Minister said the Bill had received the assent of Governor T.N. Chaturvedi.

Asked about the reason for the delay in convening the meeting, Mr. Shankaramurthy said he had promised Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council H.K. Patil that he would convene a meeting before April 20, and it was convened on April 19. Council Chairman V.R. Sudarshan and leader of the Janata Dal (U) group M.P. Nadagouda participated in the meeting but Mr. Patil could not make it as he was preoccupied with some other official business. Another meeting was fixed for April 25. The meeting was then put off till May 10, he said.

When his attention was attention to the reported statement made by Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly N. Dharam Singh that he had not been invited to the meeting, Mr. Shankaramurthy said that he invited Mr. Patil and Dr. Nadagouda following some constructive suggestions they made on the floor of the House. He would also invite Mr. Singh for Wednesday's meeting, he said.

`No confusion'

Asserting that there was no confusion with regarding to conducting the Common Entrance Test, he said the Government had no say in the matter of fee structure for professional courses in private professional colleges. Once the rules were enforced all the professional colleges would have to follow the fee structure determined by the Rangavittalachar Committee on Fee Fixation, he added.