The state government will oppose any move by the Centre to enact a law allowing foreign universities to ?freely operate? in the country, higher education minister Satyasadhan Chakraborty said on Monday.

Foreign universities will be allowed a toehold in the city and elsewhere in Bengal only if they agree to run their courses in collaboration with state-aided institutions, the minister clarified.

Chakraborty was fielding questions after addressing a summit on technical education.

He, however, welcomed the Centre?s proposal to reserve seats for SC/ST students in private engineering institutions. The percentage of seats to be reserved would be decided by the state government.