TN Govt to cancel recognition if capitation fee collected

Chennai, June 6 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Minister for Higher Education K Ponmudi today warned private colleges of cancellation of recognition if they collected capitation fees from students, seeking admission under the management quota.

Talking to newspersons here, he said the private colleges were being allowed to collect an annual fee of Rs 62,500 from students admitted under management quota, against last year's fee of Rs 32,500, only to prevent them from collecting capitation fees.

Unlike last year, when the Government referred the matter to the All India Council for Technical Education(AICTE), the DMK Government, this year, proposed to take direct action against colleges which collected capitation fees.

''We are planning to initiate action and cancel the recognition of the erring private colleges, through Anna University,'' Mr Ponmudi said.

The Minister refuted Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) leader Dr S Ramadoss charge that the Government had taken the decision on fee structure without consulting the allies and other parties.

He said the Justice Balasubramanian Committee, constituted to fix the fees for private colleges, had given its recommendations only after holding talks with all political parties, educational experts and general public.

The annual fee of Rs 62,500 fixed by the committee for management quota students would not affect the poor students as only 35 per cent of the seats were earmarked for private colleges, he contended.

A majority of 65 per cent of the seats in private colleges would be filled under the Government quota through single window system and there was no change in the fee strucutre for Government quota seats, he said.

UNI WS NY NS1716