With two more private medical colleges in the State on the verge of getting the coveted “deemed university” status this year, the government’s euphoria over the gain of 600 MBBS seats through its new colleges might just be shortlived.

The deemed varsities, one in Mysore and the other in Bijapur would mean a net loss of 200 MBBS seats for both the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) and COMED-K. The consensus 40:60 formula will not apply to the two colleges.
Private professional colleges are increasingly taking the deemed-university status route to break away from both the KEA and COMED-K to independently admit students on an all-India basis. In the last two years alone, the Government and COMED-K have lost 400 MBBS seats, hitherto available to medical aspirants through the CET/ COMED-K route.
Sources told Deccan Herald that a UGC team had already inspected the Mysore and Bijapur colleges, and the necessary papers were “almost through.” A formal announcement on the deemed university status is likely before the 2008-09 undergraduate admissions.
State’s efforts in vain
Last year, the State government had sought the Centre’s intervention to retain at least 40 per cent of seats for Karnataka students in the new deemed varsities. But the Union Human Resource Development Ministry upheld the deemed universities’ right to take in students from across the country. They were outside the States’ purview, ruled the Ministry. More colleges getting out of the KEA / COMED-K network could upset the government’s calculations this year. The already announced consensus formula might have helped the KEA get 40 per cent seats in private unaided medical colleges, with a uniform subsidised fee of Rs 35,000 for allotment to meritorious students. But the actual number of seats could dip further.
In 2007, the Kolar-based Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College had walked out of COMED-K and the consensus arrangement once the UGC awarded the deemed status. The government’s efforts to retain its share of seats failed. The College was free to conduct its own admission test and select students from anywhere in India. No longer bound by the State’s rules and regulations, it had a free hand even in fee fixation. Two years ago, the KLE Society's Belgaum-based Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College  had opted out of the State-governed rules. The Kasturba Medical Colleges in Manipal and Mangalore were granted the status even before.   
COMED-K Executive Secretary, Dr S Kumar justified the need for more deemed and private universities, particularly when the enrolment in Higher Education hovered around a lowly eight per cent.
“It is not wrong for Centres of Excellence to be given that status. None of the existing State-owned universities play the role of facilitators. Deemed universities have the same guidelines as the affiliated colleges. But they are not bound by the arm-twisted 40:60 arrangement (with the government),” he observed


ADMISSIONS VIA TEST

Bangalore, dhns: The speculated “free hand” of the deemed universities may not be unfettered after all. The UGC has recently notified its draft regulations on the “Deemed to be Universities,” mandating that all admissions should be made only through a common entrance test conducted either by the Commission or a University Grants Commission-identified agency.
The draft regulations are also clear that the admission of foreign students (a key source of revenue for many institutions) should be governed by UGC guidelines, and the entry of students into various professional programmes of study, such as Engineering, Medical, Dental, Nursing, Pharmacy, Management, Law, Education, had to be in tune with regulations framed by the Commission in consultation with the respective statutory bodies.
Capitation fee in any form has been strictly forbidden. Besides, the fee for different courses has to be fixed in accordance with the UGC regulations.
On reservations, the draft regulation has asked the deemed univerisities to implement the quota policy in admission and staff recruitment, as per the directions of the Central government and UGC.