SC bars fixing admission quota in colleges

NDTV: "From next year, students across India will have to get used to a very different admission procedure to professional colleges. A special seven judge constitutional bench ruled that colleges that do not receive financial aid from the government, have to be allowed autonomy.

As a result, these colleges can decide whether they want to reserve seats for SC/ST students, as well as OBC students. After today's judgement, the seven judge bench has said:


* Unaided colleges, both minorities and non-minority, can have their own admission and fee structure, subject to regulations by committees to be set up by states.

* However, there will be a common entrance examination to all of these unaided private colleges, either at state or national level.

* Also, the government cannot interfere in admission procedure of these colleges, but will have a say in private colleges that receive financial aid.

* There is also a ban on capitation fee and commercialization. The regulating committees will ensure that fee structures are not inflated beyond reasonable levels.


But there is one contradiction. Though colleges are not obliged to meet other reservation quotas, there will be 15 per cent quota for NRI students. The private college association says that thousands of vacant seats in the colleges will now be filled as the government quota is being abolished.

Parents and the students, who suffered a lot because of the interpretation of earlier judgements of the Supreme Court, now feel that this order could clear the confusion. "The common entrance test is good, but most importantly private colleges should make fees and admission process transparent," said U S Amritwar, Secretary, Parents Association, Maharashtra.

What shape and form this judgment takes on the ground though, will lie in the hands of the special committees of retired judges, who will oversee the new rules. Otherwise next year this time, there may still be another flood of petitions in the courts."