Govt launches 'Save CET' mission

BANGALORE: All efforts are being made by the Karnataka government to ensure that Common Entrance Test (CET) for admissions to professional courses, pioneered by the state in 1994, does not crumble in the background of the Supreme Court’s twin orders on educational institutions.
The apex court orders exclude private unaided and minority educational institutions from government purview.
With barely a month left to begin the CET process for 2003, the higher education department is huddled in a series of meetings to chalk out a strategy. One of the strategies being pursued is to persuade private college managements to voluntarily give 50 per cent of seats to the government and retain the remaining 50 per cent with them.
"The managements are willing to part with 40 per cent of the seats but we are trying to convince them to give 50 per cent of the seats to CET.
At a personal level, we are also explaining to them the need to retain the CET system in the country," Higher Education Minister G. Parameshwara told ‘The Times of India’.
According to the present system of admission, the government fills 50 per cent of the seats under the free quota and 35 per cent of seats under the payment seats. The remaining 15 per cent of seats are filled by the managements under the management/NRI quota. The SC’s orders have changed these equations as only 21 colleges are government owned or aided.
If the court’s directives are implemented, 87 per cent of the admissions would be taken care of by the managements. The government can allot only 8,000 of the 57,000 engineering seats, 300 out of 2,100 medical seats and 60 of the 2,600 dental seats.
"The college managements can fill 50 per cent seats independent of any government interference. If they agree, they will not only help us retain the CET system but also instil credibility in the admission process," he said.
Parameshwara said the government is planning to enter into an agreement with the college managements to formalise the understanding.
A legislation would also be brought before the state legislature to make this system permanent.
"After the apex court’s orders, we have been forced to think of such methods. We cannot allow a system which has gained the people’s and students’ confidence, to perish. We hope the college managements cooperate," he stated.
The government has planned a meeting of education ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra, Goa and Pondicherry governments to discuss the fallout of the apex court’s orders. A date for the meeting is yet to be finalised.
Parameshwara, though, is confident about bringing about a legislation.
"If the meeting fails to materialise, we will go ahead and introduce the legislation. The matter is now before the legal department. There is no question of any delay," he said.