THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Muslim Educational Society (MES) has expressed its willingness to admit students to all professional courses except MBBS in the colleges run by it on a 50:50 seat-sharing basis with the Government.

In the 50 per cent Government seats the fee will be fixed by the Government. In the remaining seats the fee will be higher but will be one that is agreed upon by the Government and the MES.

This `informal understanding' was reached during discussions with MES representatives and Education Minister M.A. Baby here on Sunday. Mr. Baby later told The Hindu that he considered Sunday's agreement a `breakthrough' in the ongoing negotiations between the Government and managements of private self-financing professional colleges.

The MES representatives led by its president Fazal Gafoor asked that 10 to 15 per cent of total seats in their institutions be set apart for Muslim candidates.

For MBBS, the Society insisted on a 60:40 seat split in favour of the managements. According to Mr. Gafoor, they told the Minister that they did not agree with the Government's definition of an NRI candidate and also with the concept of charging very high fee from such candidates. " The Minister told us that he did not agree with our argument in principle."

The MES will hold further talks with the Government after discussing these issues with community leaders and individual managements.

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