No new engg college in State

Recognising this stark reality, State Higher Education Minister Aravind Limbavali on Wednesday wondered whether there was any rationale in establishing new colleges.
Limbavali admitted that a whopping 11,716 seats had no takers this year. While the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) found it impossible to fill 3,926 BE seats, the Consortium of Medical, Engineering and Dental Colleges of Karnataka (COMED-K) could not find students for 7,790 seats.

The minister’s response was in reply to a question by BJP MLA Manappa Vajjal, who demanded an engineering college be set up in Lingasugar in Raichur district.
Limbavali said he did not see any reason why new colleges should come up. But he said the government could reconsider this position if all seats were filled in the days to come.

At the end of the CET counselling every year, thousands of engineering seats go abegging. An increase in the number of engineering colleges, as approved by the All India Council for Technical Education, low pass percentage in II PUC and students opting for colleges in neighbouring states are reasons behind seats going vacant.

Poor quality
Over the years, engineering colleges have mushroomed without good infrastructure, quality faculty and basic requirements for students. Despite the government’s attempts to induce students through a host of attractive measures, the seats have had no takers.

S Shankarnarayan, executive director, KEA, explained, “Separate counselling was conducted over two years for students who passed II PUC supplementary examination, giving them an opportunity to pursue BE. Similarly, the percentage of diploma holders seeking lateral entry to BE through CET was increased from 10 to 15”.

However, KB Munivenkat Reddy, Vice Chairman, Forum of Private Engineering Colleges Association said: “Many colleges in remote districts do not have adequate infrastructure, forcing students to go elsewhere to make use of the laboratory facilities.