Mumbai Sunday Times, 29th Sep 2008

Mumbai: Medical and higher education minister Dilip Walse-Patil has proposed to conduct only one common entrance test (CET) for admission to both government and private medical as well as engineering institutions. Deemed universities will not be included in it.

If everything goes well, then Walse-Patil will introduce the Maharashtra Private Professional Educational Institutions (regulation of admissions and fees) Bill, 2008, during the winter session of the state legislature, said a senior official. “In August 2005, the Supreme Court had ruled that in absence of a central legislation, the states must enact suitable laws regarding fees, admissions and related matters. Accordingly, we are proposing a new rule for it,’’ he said. The apex court had, at that time, observed that admissions and fee structures for professional institutions can be regulated in order to ensure transparency in the proceedings.

The Supreme Court had held that a common entrance test might be conducted by a group of institutions or be arranged by the state and that admissions can be regulated through a centralised procedure, without adversely affecting the rights of unaided minority institutions to admit students of their choice.

In Maharashtra, the official said, students had a confusing time choosing from 14 government and 25 private medical colleges and more than 100 engineering institutions. “A draft legislation has been readied based on the opinion of the advocategeneral that will be introduced during the Nagpur session. From the next academic session, we want aspiring medical and engineering students to take only one exam,’’ the official said.

The law provides for setting up of a five-member panel, which will be headed by a retired judge or an official not below the rank of principal secretary. While the state will conduct the test, 75%of the seats will be reserved for students who are domiciles of Maharashtra and 15% for NRIs. Minority institutions will set aside at least 2/3rd of the seats for members of their communities. Admission will be centralised and fees will be approved by the regulatory body.

The fees will be fixed according to the location of the institution, nature and requirements of the professional course, cost of the building, available infrastructure, expenditure on administration and maintenance and reasonable surplus, lease of land at concessional rates and use of government infrastructure. At least 5% of the facilities will be provided by the government.