Date:11/05/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/05/11/stories/2006051113040400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Team to Centre to resolve admissions row suggested

Staff Reporter

Another meeting to be held on Saturday; committee to include Kumaraswamy

FOR STUDENTS' SAKE: Minister for Medical Education V.S. Acharya (right) addressing an all-party meeting on the admissions issue in Bangalore on Wednesday. (From right) Higher Education Minister D.H. Shankaramurthy, Legislative Council Chairman V.R. S udarshan, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council H.K. Patil, M.P. Nadagouda and Saleem Ahmed, MLCs, and Visvesvaraya Technological University Vice-Chancellor K. Balaveera Reddy are seen. — Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.

BANGALORE: To find a solution to the imbroglio over admissions to professional colleges, Leaders of the Opposition in both Houses of the legislature have suggested that the Government take an all-party delegation to the Centre. This was an important recommendation at a meeting called by Higher Education Minister D.H. Shankaramurthy to discuss the issue on Wednesday.

Panel members

As the issue concerned a large number of candidates from the General Merit category, the committee formed by the Government to resolve the issue decided that it should include Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and the floor leaders of various parties in the Legislative Assembly, and not only MLCs. A meeting on the issue will be held on Saturday, Mr. Shankaramurthy told The Hindu .

The law

On the last day of the legislature session, the Government had secured the adoption of the Karnataka Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admission and Determination of Fee) Bill, 2006, after assuring the Opposition that it would include its suggestions as guidelines or as an Ordinance. This was meant to address the larger interests of the General Merit candidates, particularly meritorious students from rural areas.

The Bill did not set aside any seats exclusively for Merit category students, and they have to compete with all-India candidates for 50 per cent of seats.

Mr. Shankarmurthy told presspersons earlier that the meeting also discussed whether Indian System of Medicines, Homoeopathy and Unani should be kept out of the purview of the law.

The Government would have to bring in a policy for their promotion, he added.

Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council H.K. Patil said there was a suggestion to hold a separate entrance test for aspirants for seats of the Indian Systems of Medicine course.

Legislative Council Chairman V.R. Sudarshan; Medical Education Minister V.S. Acharya, and floor leader of the Janata Dal (United), M.P. Nadagowda were present at the meeting. A meeting was held last week.