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Steps on for equal sharing of seats in medical colleges

Special Correspondent

Another round of talks with them soon, says Health Minister

Puducherry: Chief Minister N. Rangasamy has said that steps are on to ensure an equal sharing of seats between the Government and the self-financing medical colleges for admission of students under Government quota in the current academic year itself.

Replying to the members' plea during question hour on Tuesday, he said that the Government was interested in the welfare of students. Earlier, Health Minister E. Valsaraj told K. Lakshminarayanan (PMC), S.P. Sivakumar (DMK) and A. Anbalagan (AIADMK) that a joint meeting with representatives privately medical colleges was held on February 27. No decision could, however, be reached at the meeting and soon another round of talks was planned to reach a decision.

Mr. Lakshminarayanan expressed surprise over the delay in introduction of a Bill regarding that. Every year uncertainty gripped students for want of firm stipulation of quota.

S.P. Sivakumar (DMK) said when private engineering colleges were earmarking 50 per cent seats, what prevented the medical colleges to drag their feet, he asked.

Firm directive

Mr. Sivakumar said that there was a firm directive in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and other States to college managements. It was, therefore, the duty of the Government to issue a firm directive.

He said that the meeting the Minister had convened with managements was only an eyewash. A. Anbalagan (AIADMK) said that it was indeed mind-boggling that the Government was lacking initiative to procure fair quota to students sponsored through Centralised Admission Committee. He said that there were instances of some colleges getting "deemed-university status" directly from the Union Human Resources Ministry bypassing the Administration here.

Once this status was available, the college became inaccessible for students for Government quota.

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