The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : State initiative paying dividends

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

State initiative paying dividends

Special Correspondent

The number of government-run professional colleges is being raised

BANGALORE: The coalition Government in the State, apparently upset over the manner in which private engineering and medical colleges have been calling the shots in the matter relating to the government quota of seats in private colleges, has now embarked on an ambitious expansion policy. It is increasing the number of its professional colleges in the State in relation to the strength of the private colleges.

Sources in the Government told The Hindu that it would take years if not a decade to bring on a par the quota of seats in government colleges with that of private colleges. However, a significant initiative has been launched and it has already started paying dividends.

Hitherto, there were only four medical colleges and two engineering colleges of the Government. While the N. Dharam Singh Government gave approval for new medical colleges in Shimoga, Mandya, Hassan, Belgaum, Raichur and Bidar, the H.D. Kumaraswamy Government has accorded permission for seven engineering colleges in Ramanagara, Chamarajanagar, Kushalnagar, Hassan, Bellary, K.R. Pet and Raichur.

Some of these colleges have started functioning and the rest likely from the ensuing academic year.

Inspection

While the number of medical seats in the government quota is expected to substantially increase by 500 straightway and around 900 in the coming academic year, the engineering seats in the government pool would increase by nearly 4,000 depending on the number of subjects being introduced in the new colleges. An inspection team of the AICTE is expected to visit the new engineering colleges shortly.

This year, after several rounds of hard bargaining on seats in private professional colleges, the Government and the managements of private professional colleges agreed on a 40:60 seat-sharing ratio for MBBS and 35:65 seat sharing for dental (BDS) and 55:45 for engineering for 2007-08. This seat-sharing formula will be applicable only for 2007-08.

In the coming academic year, 40 per cent of the medical seats (2,250) in the government quota would be available for selection at a subsidised uniform fee of Rs. 35,000. As many as 2,250 seats would be available if the Medical Council of India permits admission of 100 students each in the three new medical colleges at Shimoga, Bidar and Raichur.

Under the 60 per cent management quota seats, Rs. 3.25 lakh (Rs. 2.90 lakh last year) has been fixed for 40 per cent of the seats.

NRI quota

This would, however, be not applicable to the 15 per cent NRI quota seats and the five per cent discretionary quota set up for the managements.

The Government and the private dental colleges have agreed to the 35:65 seat-sharing ratio for the BDS course in 2007-08. The fee has been fixed at Rs. 25,000 for the 35 per cent seats (1,046) under the State quota. Under the 65 per cent management quota, Rs. 2.30 lakh has been fixed for 45 per cent of seats. The limit will not apply to the 15 per cent NRI quota and five per cent discretionary quota of managements.

In engineering, 55 per cent of the seats in the government quota would be filled at a subsidised fee of Rs. 25,000. For the 45 per cent management quota seats, an upper limit of Rs. 1.25 lakh has been fixed. But the limit will not apply to the 15 per cent NRI quota seats and five per cent discretionary quota.

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