No seperate test for self-financing colleges

Thiruvananthapuram, June 14 : The Kerala Government today directed the self-financing professional colleges to admit students only on the basis of the common entrace examination being conducted by it.

Briefing newspersons here after a meeting of the state cabinet, Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan said there was no need for a separate entrance examination by managements of the self-financing colleges.

''The Government will not recognise their entrance test,'' he said.

The Chief Minister said a special meeting of his cabinet would be held soon to finalise the draft of a Bill for bringing clarity to admissions and fee structure of self-financing colleges. The bill would be introduced in the coming session of the State Assembly.

The fee structure in these colleges was a contentious issue with the government insisting that for the 50 per cent seats, self-financing professional colleges should charge the fee applicable as in government-run institutions. However, managements challeged the decision of the Supreme Court, saying that it would not be financially viable for them to run the institutions.

UNI