The Government of Maharashtra will set up a sub-committee by next week to furnish guidelines on admission and passing on greater autonomy to the private colleges in Maharashtra state. The new guidelines will then be passed on to the State education department. Accordingly, the new admission criteria in the state, particularly that relating to the private colleges are expected to change. Like any other important professional course, the medical education procedures in the state are also likely to be affected. The committee will furnish its new admission rules by the third week of January.

If the government sanctions the new guidelines, criteria like the admission procedure, fee structure, syllabus, employee structure in the private colleges etc are likely to change.

"If the guidelines are sanctioned by the state government, the Directorate of Medical Education is likely to adopt them and will pass on to the respective medical and dental colleges in the state," said a senior official in the Directorate of Medical Education. As a result, the medical admission proceedings for Maharashtra will change for the academic year 2003-04. "Unless some institutions or student representatives file petitions against the judgment," she maintained.

Although, maximum changes will be felt in the matters pertaining to the private colleges, some changes are likely to be made in the proceedings of the government colleges as well.

In its judgment made out on October 31, the Supreme Court has ordered the respective state governments to give greater autonomy in the administrative proceedings of the private colleges, giving greater authority to decide the criteria of student admission, set up a reasonable fee structure, constitute their governing bodies, appoint staff, and also take action if there is dereliction of duty on the part of any employees, without any government interference.

The SC is strongly against the States, which so far have played a role in fixing a rigid fee structure, dictating the formation and composition of a governing body, compulsorily nominating teachers and staff for appointment or nominating students for admissions, in private unaided colleges.

However, in case of private aided institutions, the SC has given government the liberty to have a greater say in the administration, including admissions and fixing of fees.

Also, the judgment mentions that in cases pertaining to the seeking of affiliation or recognition, the Board or the university or the affiliating or recognizing authority can lay down conditions consistent with the requirement to ensure the excellence of education. It can for instance, indicate the quality of teachers by prescribing the minimum qualifications that they must possess, and the courses of study and curricula.

The SC upholds the right of a private institution to determine its own fee structure. Private institutions incur heavy expenses in providing better working conditions and better amenities and have every right to reclaim these expenses by charging their own fees, it said.

It however cautions that the establishment of an educational institution should not be profit driven, as education is essentially charitable in nature. However, the colleges have the right to earn a reasonable revenue surplus, which may be generated by the educational institution for the purpose of development of education and expansion of the institution.