Chennai, March 28: Students of all boards in Tamil Nadu will have to take the common entrance test for admissions to professional colleges for 2006-07, chief minister Jayalalithaa said today.

The Supreme Court yesterday admitted the government’s appeal against a Madras High Court order striking down the Tamil Nadu Regulations of Admissions in Professional Courses Act, which allowed state board students to skip the test, but adjourned the case for further hearing on April 13.

The state government was “waiting till yesterday to see whether any order will be given by the Supreme Court”, Jayalalithaa said. But as it is not sure if the apex court will pass a “definitive order” on April 13 and there is no stay on the high court ruling, the government has decided to conduct the exam, she added. “We cannot keep students in indefinite suspense.”

The test for entrance to all graduate professional degree colleges will be held on May 13 and May 14.

Last year, the state government had abolished the test, saying it was “imposing a difficult burden for the majority of students and was acting to the disadvantage of rural students”. But the high court quashed the order.

The government then brought the Tamil Nadu Regulations of Admission in Professional Courses Act 2006 that allowed state board students to skip the test and seek admission to professional courses on the basis of their Plus Two marks. The exemption was restricted to the state board, with students of other boards expected to sit for the common test.

However, this too was struck down by the high court which ruled that all students should have to take the test.

The state government has filed a special leave petition against the high court order in the Supreme Court. The “system to be followed eventually in admissions to professional courses will be determined on the basis of the decision of the Supreme Court”, the government said in a statement.

ADMK manifesto

The ADMK’s manifesto for the Assembly polls in Kerala, where it is contesting 54 seats, was released in both Malayalam and Tamil today. Although Malayalam is part of the Dravidian family of languages, the move stands out because the Dravidian parties here have grown on a pro-Tamil language and culture agenda.

Jayalalithaa also released the manifesto for the Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry polls.