Even as the government has kept in abeyance an act governing the CET, Minister for Higher Education R V Deshpande said it would make best use of the services of two retired High Court judges who were appointed as panel heads to oversee its implementation.
The Karnataka Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admission and Determination of Fee) Act, 2006 would have introduced a system of admissions in professional colleges where there would be no government quota with subsidised fees for local students.
Retired judges Ajit J Gunjal and V Jagannathan had been appointed as heads of fee fixation and admission oversight committees respectively under the Act. The government’s u-turn on the Act’s implementation has raised questions on the fate of these two committees.
According to official sources, the two judges were provided official Innova cars. Deshpande told Express that the retired judges were appointed by the Chief Justice for a period of three years on governmental request. “It was after we provided them with infrastructure that we decided to keep the Act in abeyance in the interest of students,” the Minister explained.
“As elected representatives, we are very concerned over any wastage of public money. We are deliberating on this issue and we will make the best use of the judges,” he added.