Seat matrix: Govt favours students, says Minister

Udupi, June 24 (UNI) Karnataka Medical Education Minister Dr V S Acharya today asserted that the student community need not fear about their higher education as the Government had arrived at a decision favouring the student community during discussions with the management of private professional colleges.

Talking to newspersons here, he, however, declined to divulge the details of the ''good arrangement'' on both seat matrix and fee structure as it could only be tabled in the Assembly. Counselling for admission to professional courses would start on June 26 as scheduled for special category and on July three for general category. The seat matrix would be announced by July three, he said.

The Minister said the Medical Council of India (MCI) had observed that infrastructure in the proposed six Government medical colleges in the State were lacking by ten per cent to 30 per cent. The Government would submit its reply by June 26. As the Government was left with just 66 days, it was hoping to get sanction for starting atleast two colleges by fulfilling the norms prescribed by MCI.

However, even if approval was granted for one college for the current academic year, it was an achivement, he added.

He said the new first grade Government college would commence from the current academic year at Hiriyadka near Udupi, for which the Government had sanctioned Rs 49.5 lakh (one third of the total grant) for building infrastructure. The Government had also approved full-fledged staff to start art, science and commerce courses.

Dr Acharya, also the Udupi district in-charge Minister, said the Union Government had sanctioned an Energy Special Economic Zone (ESEZ) to the district. The 800 acres of land, left by NPTC and Cogentrix, would be made available to the ESEZ for manufacturing wind mills by Suzlon, the Indian multinational company. Of the total investment of Rs 4,000 crore, the company would make an investment of Rs 1,000 crore in the first phase, which would generate 5,000 employment opportunities.

To a query, he said Rs 10.4 crore had been sanctioned by the Finance department for widening road between Adi Udupi and Kalsanka.

UNI MA GD HVB1925