Date:01/06/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/06/01/stories/2007060110900100.htm

Front Page

Inter-Church Council for Education wants uniform fee

Special Correspondent

Talks on self-financing college admissions inconclusive

EDUCATION MATTERS: Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan and his Cabinet colleagues holding talks with representatives of the Inter-Church Council for Education in the capital on Thursday. — Photo: S. Gopakumar

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Government and the Inter-Church Council for Education discussed inconclusively their differences on matters relating to admission of students in self-financing professional colleges here on Thursday.

The council, reportedly, expressed its willingness to accept the Government's proposal to follow the 50:50 formula for admissions, with 50 per cent of the seats going to students from the Government's rank list and the remaining as per the college managements' choice. However, it wanted the fee to be uniform for all students.

The council, at the discussion with the Cabinet sub-committee consisting of Education Minister M. A. Baby, Water Resources Minister N. K. Premachandran and Public Works Minister T. U. Kuruvilla, reportedly took the stand that subsidising fees for one section of students at the expense of another would go against the Supreme Court verdict in the matter.

The Government proposed that the fees for the students coming under the Government quota could be enhanced from the present low level. However, the council felt that such an increase could make no difference since the present fees in Government colleges was far below the one approved for self-financing colleges.

The Government also mooted the proposal that five per cent of the seats under Government quota in self-financing colleges could be set apart for students belonging to the community running the respective college. "The discussion was quite encouraging. We hope to reach an agreement soon," council chairman Mar Joseph Powathil said.