No fee hike for Karnataka private engineering college admissions

Bengaluru: In a major respite to prospective engineering students and their parents, the government has decided to freeze the annual fees for engineering courses at levels fixed last year, announced Higher Education Minister Dr. C N Ashwath Narayan on Wednesday.

The decision was taken at the government-led meeting held at Vikas Soudha held under the chairmanship of the Higher Education Minister with the representatives of the Karnataka Unaided Private Engineering Colleges Association (KUPECA) and Karnataka Religious and Linguistic Minorities Private Colleges Association (KRLMPCA).

Last year, the fees for students securing admissions in private engineering colleges under government quota were divided into two slabs of Rs 65,340 and Rs 58,806. The same shall continue this year also.

The minister informed that the private engineering colleges can collect a maximum of Rs20,000 as ‘other fees’. This maximum ceiling has been fixed so that colleges don’t charge exorbitant fees from the students, the minister added.

He clarified that all fees would have to be paid only in the state government-run Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) and colleges cannot collect fees directly. This will not only avoid confusion but also ensures colleges don’t flout the norms, the minister added.

The private engineering colleges had been asking for a 30 percent hike in annual fees. A committee led by VTU pro-chancellor Karidasappa recommended allowing only a raise of 15 percent to 20 percent.

However, the colleges were persuaded not to increase fees considering the economic hardship of the people amid the covid pandemic this year, Dr. Narayan added.