The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : `AICET will help in bringing down capitation fees'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 12, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

`AICET will help in bringing down capitation fees'

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, MAY 11. The All-India Common Entrance Test (AICET), to be conducted by the All-India Medical and Engineering Colleges Association on July 10 and 11, will enable meritorious students to secure admission in any State without paying huge capitation fees, the chairman of the committee to conduct the AICET and former Supreme Court judge, S. Mohan, said today.

He told mediapersons here the association formed in January 2004 comprised ``more than 1,000 medical and engineering colleges.'' It felt there was no formal mechanism to help students of one State to go and join institutions in other States, especially under the management quota. Even meritorious students were made to pay capitation fees. This was a concern expressed even by the Supreme Court, Mr. Mohan said.

``The association decided to enrol colleges as members to participate in the AICET. They can then select students for the management quota seats on merit in an affordable process,'' Mr. Mohan said. In Tamil Nadu, the association did not expect many members because the ``situation is very nebulous and colleges do not want to be seen joining with us.''

When mediapersons sought to know whether a national-level test could be conducted by the association, as the Supreme Court order in the Islamic Academy case talked only of a common entrance test by an association of colleges of one State, the retired judge said ``what is sauce for goose is sauce for gander... A State-level association could conduct a State-level test and a national level association could conduct an all-India test.''

On whether students selected by the AICET would be approved by universities, the committee members, including cardiologist K.M. Cherian, said when a college was affiliated to the university, the latter would hopefully approve admissions in this mode also. When mediapersons sought a list of member-colleges of the association, Mr. Mohan said enrolment of members was on and the list would soon be publicised. Question paper for the AICET was getting ready. The results would be announced on July 20.

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