CHENNAI : The M. Anandakrishnan committee has drawn up an alternative to the draft bill for regulating self-financing professional institutions and checking admission procedures and fee structures.

The committee is the initiative of Pasumai Thayagam, an affiliate of the Pattali Makkal Katchi, meant to push for amendments in The Private Professional Educational Institutions (Regulations of admissions and fixation of fee) Bill 2005. Apart from the chairman, M.Anandakrishnan, former Vice-chancellor of Anna University, others in the committee include Justice Gokulakrishnan and Justice M.S.Janardanan, along with senior academicians and PMK representatives.

The committee has suggested changing the title of the Bill to "Regulation of Management and Administration." The Bill's definition of aided institutions must also include institutions that have received government support either through land grant or one-time financial assistance. The amended Bill has also set out a clear definition of what constituted capitation fees.

Trusts

"We have also done away with the practice of family/individual-run private trusts running educational institutions. Only registered charitable public trusts can do so. We anticipate strong resentment (among private college managements) for this as only 50 out of every 1000 such trusts today is a public entity. Family-run trusts have been the breeding ground of corruption,'' Dr. Anandakrishnan told The Hindu .

Also, there needs to be a well-defined sanctioned intake for deemed universities. "We have suggested a regulatory authority for admissions and fee structure in these universities," he added.

While aided minority institutions, unaided minority and unaided non-minority institutions can have up to 50 per cent of seats each reserved for the management quota, unaided non-minority institutions should be given only 15 per cent. Reservations in the general category should be on the basis of State reservation policies.

Admissions

Admissions should be only on the basis of percentile rationalisation of various State Board marks or entrance tests conducted by the Central or State governments and not private consortia. Fee structures should be determined by regulatory committees. While institutions more than 10 years old should be allowed to charge fees based only on recurring expenditure or legitimate costs, others can be allowed to amortise costs on a rational basis. Foreign education providers cannot offer courses— either separately or jointly with other institutions— without prior permission from the university concerned.

Under a new section, `Powers and functions of State', the committee has asked every State government to prepare a five-year master-plan for professional education. Also, institutions should obtain a no-objection certificate from the State government before starting new colleges/courses or increasing intake.

Inspection

Other amendments suggested include giving the State power of inspection over fee collection/examination system, penal measures for non-compliance, regulating off-campus/distance education centres of deemed universities and qualifications and appointments of chancellor/pro-chancellor/vice-chancellors of deemed universities and establishing a `National Testing Service', passing the Private Universities Bill, a grading system of educational institutions and a designated audit for funding mechanisms.

"We will push for the amended Bill to be passed (in Parliament) by December to clear the way for admissions next year," a senior PMK leader said.

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