The Hindu : Karnataka News : Talks between Govt., COMED-K inconclusive

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 04, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka

Talks between Govt., COMED-K inconclusive

Special Correspondent

Another meeting to be held after Supreme Court gives its verdict on seat sharing, fee structure

Towards rapprochement: The Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, and the Minister for Higher Education, D. Manjunath, at a meeting with the representatives of private professional college managements in Bangalore on Monday. — Photo: K. Bhagya Pra kash

BANGALORE: Talks between the State Government and representatives of private professional college managements on seat sharing and fee structure for 2005-06 academic year remained inconclusive.

Addressing presspersons here on Tuesday after an hour-long meeting with representatives of the Consortium of Private Medical, Engineering and Dental Colleges-Karnataka (COMED-K) and Forum of New Engineering Colleges, the Minister for Higher Education, D. Manjunath, said that the Supreme Court is expected give its verdict on seat sharing and fee structure before May 13 and the Government would again hold a meeting to decide on the twin issues then.

The Supreme Court may also pronounce its verdict on May 9 when a case relating to the M.S. Ramaiah College of Engineering comes up for hearing. The State Government and COMED-K reached an agreement last year on seat sharing with the ratio of 60:40 for medical and dental courses and 75:25 for engineering courses. However, the Common Entrance Test (CET) cell held three rounds of counselling on account of differences between the Government and private colleges.

Shyamanur Shivashakarappa, MLA and Vice-Chairman of COMED-K, said that the Government has failed to honour the agreement signed last year with regard to fee structure. It has not reimbursed fees totalling Rs. 30 crores of students belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Students belonging to the general category filed writ petitions in the Karnataka High Court challenging the differential fee structure, he said.

D.K. Shivakumar, former Minister, and other representatives said they would not accept the fee structure recommended by the committee headed by Justice Rangavittalachar. "We cannot run colleges by charging such a low fee," Mr. Shivakumar said.

K.B. Munivenkata Reddy, MLC and chairman of the Forum of New Engineering Colleges, said that the college managements have decided to begin discussions with the Government only after the Supreme Court gives its verdict.

In case the court does not pronounce the judgment before May 13, the managements will discuss all issues afresh. The agreement reached with the Government last year was irrelevant, he said.

The meeting chaired by the Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, was attended by Ministers, H. K. Patil (Law), Mallikarjun Kharge (Water Resources), M.P. Prakash (Revenue), and the former Minister for Railways, C.K. Jaffer Sharief.

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