Colleges accept Centre's conditions?

By Rasheed Kappan

BANGALORE, JUNE 17. Faced with the prospect of zero admissions in the provisional dental seat matrix for 2000-2001, a majority of the State's 14 unrecognised dental colleges have reportedly accepted, in principle, the Union Government's offer of conditional recognition if they forego 25 per cent of their BDS seats every year to offset unauthorised admissions made between 1992-93 and 1995-96.

The colleges had approached the Centre after the Dental Council of India (DCI) ruled out allotting seats for these institutions for 2000-2001 until they adhered to all the regulations. Among the requirements was the need for a five-acre campus. The State Government has not granted any seats to these colleges in its yet-to-be-released provisional seat matrix, highly placed sources told The Hindu.

All the college managements willing to take up the Centre's offer have been asked to file an affidavit agreeing to the conditions. Once this is okayed, the DCI is reported to have agreed to give some more time to these colleges to adhere to the guidelines. "The Centre is expected to give its final decision in a few days," sources said.

Subject to the conditions, the BDS degrees of the previous batch of students are likely to be accorded recognition.

Meanwhile, the colleges will be allowed to hold truncated admissions as per the CET seat selection process. However, the yearly foregoing of seats will have to be strictly monitored by the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, it is learnt.

The State Government sanctioned these colleges in 1992-93 before its powers to fix intake and to accord recognition were taken away through a parliamentary legislation the same year. The Constitution of the DCI along with the Medical Council of India (MCI) and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) during the period put the Centre firmly in control.

A prolonged legal battle ensued, leading to a ruling by the Karnataka High Court Judge, Mr. Justice Bharuka, upholding the Union Government's legislation. This ruling was subsequently upheld by the Supreme Court.

However, the college managements continued to admit students without the Centre's approval till 1995-96. The colleges were accorded approval subject to yearly renewal in 1995-96. But the Union Government ruled that all admissions made from 1992-93 to 1995-96 were illegal, and these colleges could not be granted recognition. "When the first batch of students reach the final year, the colleges should have got recognised. But they opted to renew the approvals and continue with the admissions," a highly- placed official said.

Following a series of meetings among the college managements, the Centre and the State Government, the Centre finally proposed that if the managements were willing to forego 50 per cent of their admissions to offset the earlier "illegal" admissions, the colleges may be granted recognition. Quoting financial difficulties and the CET control of admissions over 85 per cent of the seats, the managements felt 50 per cent was too high.

Thereafter, the State Government and the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences intervened stating that a portion of the admissions made between 1992-93 and 1995-96 were through the Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell and the managements had no say in this. They urged the Centre to reduce the intake only by 25 per cent. The Centre is said to have finally agreed to the proposal about a fortnight ago.

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