Case 1

CET 2006 will get smaller 14 Aug 2005, 2237 hrs IST , Seethalakshmi S. and Mathang Seshagiri , TNN

BANGALORE: It's curtains for CET. Well, almost. CET 2006 will decide admission in just 17 colleges in the state, as against 200-odd professional colleges where the state government has a stake now. The CET Cell, which is the most-frequented address for students aspiring to be engineers and doctors, will be a deserted place next season. As per the Supreme Court's seven-judge Bench verdict, the state government cannot seek quota in institutions which it does not fund. Statistically speaking, it means, the state government has control over four medical colleges, one dental college, three universityaffiliated engineering colleges. Since it funds nine private engineering colleges, it can have a say in students ‘admission in these colleges. From next year, there will be no cases of CET students being turned away by private unaided colleges, since these institutions have been given full powers by the apex court to not only fix admission procedure but also have the final word on the fees. A shocked state government is now seeking refuge under a clause of the August 12 2005 SC order which allows it to regulate admissions made by these colleges, if they are not "fair and transparent". "All institutions imparting same or similar professional education can join together to hold a common entrance test. The state can also provide a procedure in the interest of ensuring a fair and merit-based admissions and preventing mal-administration," the Bench observed. The SC has also empowered state to take over the admission procedure, if the colleges are found to violate rules. The state government is exploring various options to regain its control over private professional colleges. For one, Karnataka, even as draft central legislation is being discussed, it is planning to pass a state legislation to regulate admissions made in aided and unaided institutions as also fees. "The SC has given powers to unaided colleges to decide on admission and fix fees. But it has asked the state or the Centre to regulate both," sources said. Once the regulations are in place, the two committees will cease to exist.