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Govt. to bring in law on fee structure

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM JUNE 27. The Parliamentary Affairs Minister, M. M. Hassan, today gave an assurance in the Assembly that the Government would bring in a legislation during the current session to vest itself with powers to decide on the fee structure in the self-financing medical colleges for seats under the merit quota.

Replying to a private member's resolution in the Assembly, Mr. Hassan ruled out the question of the Government budging from its declared stand allowing only 50 per cent of the seats under the management quota in these institutions. He said the Supreme Court judgment on this issue had an enabling provision under which the Government could bring in legislation to regulate the fees in these institutions.

The proposed legislation would vest the Government with powers to decide on the fee structure in these self-financing institutions. He assured the Assembly that the Government would take all steps to ensure that the managements of self-financing institutions complied with the reservation norms and that necessary provisions would be included in the legislation to prevent attempts of private managements to undermine the norms.

He said the Government had fixed Rs. 1.76 lakhs as the annual fee for medical courses on the basis of the High Court decision. The fee structure for students under the Government quota in engineering colleges had been reduced after holding discussions with the managements of these institutions.

The discussions would continue in the case of medical institutions as well. "The basic objective would be to ensure that the common man's interests are protected while at the same time, the managements would be given a fair deal to run these institutions,'' he observed.

The private member's resolution was moved by the Janata Dal member, Neelalohitadasan Nadar. The resolution wanted the Government to bring in legislation to ensure that 50 per cent of seats in self-financing professional colleges were filled up on the basis of merit, besides bringing the fee of merit seats on par with the one prevailing in Government professional colleges. He wanted such a legislation to ensure that the prevailing reservation norms were complied with in admissions, appointments of teaching and non-teaching staff. Mr. Hassan said the question of reservation in admissions and appointments in the unaided sector would have to be examined in detail in the context of the Supreme Court verdict. But the Government would not compromise on its stand of allowing 50 per cent of the seats under merit quota.

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