Maharashtra government revises its college admission policies

Maharashtra government has issued new guidelines for admission to its Bed/Med colleges and fee structure for the academic session 2012-13. As per the revised rules, fee regulatory authority (Shikshan Shulka Samiti) will be the final deciding authority to finalize the fee of unaided Bed/Med colleges.

However, members of the fee panel authority and office bearers of the AMUTECM (Association of Managements of Unaided Teacher’s Education Colleges in Maharashtra) claimed that new rules were ambiguous announced by the GR (government resolution) specifically on issues related to fee-fixation.

Due to the anonymity, fee panel authority has held back 556 fee revision proposals given by Bed/Med and BPEd/MPEd colleges for the academic year 2011-12 as per the NCTE (National Council of Teachers Education) policies notified in August 2010.

The NCTE regulations state that a separate mechanism should be established by the state government for fixing the fee of these colleges. Moreover, the fee revision proposals should be submitted to a capable authority set up either by the central government, state government or UGC.

The fee panel authority had asked the state government to clarify on who is authorized to finalize the fee of physical and education degree colleges. Out of the 556 proposals held back, 402 are from Bed colleges, 12 from MPEd, 47 from BPEd and 95 from MEd colleges.

Department of higher and technical education (H&TE) issued 2 GRs on March 15, 2012 stating the policies for Bed and Med colleges.

The GRs provided specified detailed guidelines on eligibility criterias for applying to Bed/Med courses, holding common entrance test, seat allocation, preparation of merit list, university wise seat allocation, reservation of seats for management and minority quotas, fee and other expenses. Both the GRs specified that unaided colleges will have to follow the fee structure as fixed by the panel.

However, sources from fee fixation panel expressed that it is not mandatory for the fee panel to abide by the new rules. The panel is still in doubt about who is the final authority for fixing the fee of BPEd/MPEd colleges under the NCTE regulations.

Sources from AMUTECM revealed that the GRs announced by the H&TE department are totally anonymous and hence they have decided to meet fee fixation panel on April 18, 2012 through the admissions regulation committee. The admissions regulation committee has restricted the unaided BPEd/MPEd colleges from commencing fresh admission process till the revised fee proposals are approved.

Source: Times of India