The Karnataka Government’s proposal to open 20 more engineering colleges in the State mainly for the benefit of the poor and meritorious students is a welcome one.

The technical education department wants to set up Government-run colleges in the districts, a majority of whom don’t have a single engineering college.

Surprisingly, though engineering colleges have mushroomed in the private sector – with over 120 of them functioning in the state –  the Government has been lethargic in meeting the needs of higher education.

At a time when engineering and medical courses are much in demand and the cost of education has been skyrocketing, the Government should have intervened and opened more colleges to offer a level playing field, especially for merit students who cannot afford the escalating fees.

Though it may be argued that the decision to start Government-run engineering colleges comes rather late in the day when private colleges themselves are finding it difficult to fill up the seats – the vacancies have been in the range of 4,000 to 6,000 seats over the last few years – it does not reflect the true picture.

The vacancies are mainly on account of exorbitant fees, which have seen a continuous upward trend despite Government efforts to exercise some control over admissions and fee structure. Many meritorious students have simply drifted away to other courses, unable to meet the costs.

The proposal to open government engineering colleges in backward districts like Chamarajnagar, Haveri, Raichur, Bellary (Hoovinahadagali) among others will undoubtedly help students from these areas.

The process of obtaining approval from the All India Council for Technical Education should begin right away so that the colleges could start in time for the next academic season. When these colleges are sanctioned, the Government will have about 6,000 seats, in addition to around 5,000 seats in aided institutions for distribution among the merit students.

It is not a question of merely opening government colleges. The administration will have to ensure that there will be no compromise on the quality of education and the availability of infrastructure. Otherwise, there is the danger of these institutions turning out to be second-rate colleges with few takers. The Government initiative also could have a salutary effect on over-exploitation of students in the private colleges.