The Hindu : Front Page : Pact on admission to private unaided medical colleges

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Thursday, Sep 14, 2006
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Pact on admission to private unaided medical colleges

Staff Reporter

Talks with engineering college managements today

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: This year's admissions to private self-financing medical colleges in the State will be held on a 50:50 seat-sharing basis with the K.T. Thomas Committee fee for all seats.

In the 50 per cent government seats, managements will give scholarship to the tune of Rs.1 lakh per student for those from economically backward families. This money will be deposited in a fund to be set up by the Government. The scholarship is for all students in the government seats except for the five per cent seats set apart for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates. For the SC/ST students, the Government will pay the full fee mandated by the K.T. Thomas Committee.

A student will be admitted after the Rs.1-lakh scholarship and the student's contribution to the fee are remitted to the respective college. The fee suggested by the K.T. Thomas Committee for the MBBS course is Rs.1.13 lakh.

The agreement was arrived at after lengthy discussions between the Cabinet sub-committee on self-financing colleges and a delegation of the consortium of self-financing medical college managements led by its secretary George Paul. Ministers M. A. Baby and Mathew T. Thomas represented the Government in Wednesday's discussions. Mr. Paul told mediapersons in the evening that it would be up to the Government to identify the students for whom the scholarship was due. The agreement was only for this year and the possibilities of a long-term agreement would be explored in further discussions with the Government. Mr. Paul said no agreement was signed and that an understanding was reached regarding the admissions this year. Education Minister M. A. Baby told mediapersons after the discussions that the provisions of the self-financing colleges Act, 2006 were also considered while drafting the agreement with the managements. But Mr. Paul said that a list of objections that the managements had about the Act had been given to the Government and that this too would be placed before the Cabinet.

The Cabinet sub-committee is scheduled to hold talks with the managements of private self-financing engineering colleges and nursing colleges on Thursday. The Government will also hold discussions with various religious leaders on issues relating to the minority status of self-financing professional colleges.

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