Draft bill moots 20% fee subsidy for BPL students
- Admissions must be strictly based on merit in common entrance test
- The committees shall have the right to impose fine upto ₹2 crore
- They should also have the right to cancel affiliation of college in case of irregularity
FollowThe draft bill to regulate self-financing medical colleges in Kerala has proposed to provide at least 20% fee subsidy to students belonging to below poverty line (BPL) and socially and educationally backwards classes. Kerala Medical Education (Regulation and Control of Admission to Private Medical Educational Institutions) Act 2017 draft bill states that admission to unaided institutions shall be strictly on the basis of merit in common entrance test.
The draft also moots the formation of Fee Regulatory Committee and Admission Regulatory Committee, to be headed by retired judge of Supreme Court or High Court. The members of Admission Regulatory Committee should be Secretaries of Higher Education, Law and Health Departments, Commissioner for Entrance Examination and an educational expert, probably belonging to Scheduled Cast or Scheduled Tribe. The Fee Regulatory Committee should contain Higher Education or Health Department secretary, representative of the Medical Council of India, a chartered accountant, an educational expert and a member of All India Council for Technical Education.
The Committee must have the right to impose fine up to ₹2 crore in case it finds any violation of rules pertaining to admission to self-financing colleges. The Committee shall also have the right to cancel the admission of candidates in case of any irregularity and to recommend withdrawal of affiliation of the college.
The state government is planning to bring all colleges under the purview of the Act. The Bill is expected to be presented in the Assembly during next session.
