Private engineering colleges have agreed to abide by the State government’s fee structure, ending days of anxiety for students. At a meeting here on Thursday, the Karnataka Unaided Private Engineering Colleges’ Association (KUPECA), decided to cooperate with the government.
M.K. Panduranga Setty, secretary, KUPECA, said, “During a meeting on Tuesday, the government requested us to cooperate this time as it was too late. They expressed their difficulty to implement the Karnataka Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admission and Fixation of Fee) Act, 2006 this year and said it will be done next year. ” The Act grants freedom to private institutions to decide on admission and fee structure.
Last year, there were two fee slabs for government-quota seats in private engineering colleges — Rs. 38,090 and Rs. 41,450. The fee in government and aided colleges is Rs. 18,090. KUPECA members are proposing to have only one slab this time for all colleges: Rs. 38,090, Mr. Setty said. With the Common Entrance Test (CET) for admissions to government and government-quota professional seats scheduled to be held on May 1 and 2, the Karnataka High Court had recently directed the State government to fix the fee structure within four weeks.
Higher Education Minister R.V. Deshpande, who was in New Delhi, said he would be able to comment only after receiving a formal communication from KUPECA. A consensual agreement is yet to be signed between the government and the private colleges.
