Quota seats to go up under new admission norms, says minister

Medical Education Minister Sharan Prakash R Patil on Wednesday defended the State government’s move to implement the provisions of the Karnataka Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admission and Determination of Fee) Act, 2006, stating that it enhanced the quota of seats reserved for SC/ST and OBC students in private engineering, medical and dental colleges.

Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, Patil said the provisions of the Act mandates that all private professional colleges are scrutinised by the Fee Fixation Committee and Admission Monitoring Committee, each headed by a retired High Court judge, thus ensuring transparency. Section 9 of the Act also makes it mandatory for all unaided non-minority institutions to reserve 50 per cent seats for SC/ST/OBC students.

“The provisions of the Act bring more seats in private colleges under the reserved quota for SC/ST/OBC students thus ensuring social justice,” he said. 

To illustrate his point, the minister gave an example. At present, seats in private medical colleges are shared in the ratio of 40:60 with 40 per cent in government quota. Fifty per cent seats under this quota are reserved (there is no reservation in management quota) – that is, out of a total of 100 seats, only 20 seats hitherto were reserved for SC/ST/OBCs. The provisions of the 2006 Act enhance this quota to 50 of the total 100 seats.

Patil said all private colleges, including those with a deemed status, would have to follow the reservation norm.

Replying to queries regarding fees shooting up from the next academic year, he said the fees claimed by private colleges would be scrutinised by the Fee Fixation Committee. “The fee can be fixed only upon the approval of the committee. Factors for determination of fee are incorporated in the Act and it cannot be fixed arbitrarily.

 It will have to depend on the nature of the professional courses, available infrastructure, expenditure on administration and maintenance,” Patil said.

He said profiteering by colleges would not be allowed and the Act had provisions to impose penalties up to Rs 10 lakh against the managements of such colleges. At present, fee in professional colleges is fixed, which is different for government quota seats and management quota seats. He said the government would continue to reimburse the fees of SC/ST/Category-1 students.