All self-financing colleges agree to part with 65 pc seats

Chennai, Jun 28 (UNI) All the 278 self-financing professional colleges in Tamil Nadu have offered to part with 65 per cent of seats for admission under the Government quota, State Higher Education Minister K Ponmudi said today.

Reacting to PMK founder-leader S Ramadoss' remarks that only 165 colleges have agreed for the 65:35 per cent quota system, he said some colleges even offered more seats for Government quota.

The Government could not sign an agreement to this effect with the private colleges in view of the pendency of their case in the Supreme Court on quota system. The consortium of self-financing colleges had offered to give a letter to this effect, he said.

On payment of fees by students who join private colleges under Government quota, Mr Ponmudi said the students were given three options on payment of fees to suit their needs and there was no confusion in this. They could either pay the fees at the time of counselling at Anna University, by part payment at the college or in a bank in their area, he explained.

Rejecting Dr Ramadoss' charge that the Government was listening to people like Mr Jeppiaar, who headed the consortium, the Minister said had the Government listened to him, it would have allowed the private colleges to fill up all the seats by themselves.

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