CHENNAI: The State Government is expected to announce in a couple of days the formula for seat sharing with private self-financing professional colleges.

A delegation of the private managements met Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudi last week, and submitted their proposal on the surrender of seats to the "Government quota."

Official sources say Mr. Ponmudi will brief Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on the talks once the latter returns from Bangalore. The announcement on seat sharing can be expected after this takes place.

Surrender of seats

The indications are that it may be 65:35 for the non-minority institutions and 50:50 for the minority institutions. The number seats in the Government pool for admission through counselling under the Anna University's single window system (SWS) will be known only after the total surrender of seats is finalised. Once the final ranking list, combining the TNPCEE and the plus two marks is released, the stage will be set for the counselling to begin.

Anna University authorities expect to have around 45,000 seats in the common pool this year. But the more interesting aspect relates to admission to the management quota seats. Enquiries with some top colleges show that seats to premium courses such as computer science, electronics and communications, and information technology have been filled. Screening is on for other courses such as electrical and electronics, mechanical, electrical, chemical, production and mechatronics engineering. The question that arises is about the relevance of the common entrance test (CET) that a consortium of private colleges wants to conduct in mid-July.

Mr. Ponmudi is expected to also decide whether such a CET would be held or the management quota seats would be filled up using the TNPCEE ranking list. But that is only a formality because most of the admissions are over. The private managements do not want any CET or SWS or counselling, though all of them have been stipulated in successive orders of the Supreme Court.

Quid pro quo

These institutions make no qualms about asking the State Government for a quid pro quo. "We are ready to surrender more seats, but let us fill the management quota seats the way we want," their managements say. The attitude of these colleges seems to be that "so long as parents and students, especially those with border-line marks, rush to pay and book seats in courses of their choice in premium colleges, what is the use of blaming the managements." It is only when admissions are challenged in a court of law and the system is revealed that anything will come out into the open.

When parents and students seek admissions by offering to pay the "going rate," the managements too may not face a problem. It is only the lower rung colleges, who are unable to attract students to the management quota seats, that will be left out. They will have to depend on the Government quota and the SWS to fill up at least the seats offered for counselling.

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