Cap on CS & related engineering streams seats from this year: Karnataka minister

The state government will impose a cap on Computer Science and related streams intake in engineering courses from the KCET 2026.

While releasing the ‘CET Guide’ on Friday, Higher Education Minister Dr M C Sudhakar said that the Department of Higher Education would form a one-man committee to study and submit the report.

“The freeze on Computer Science and related streams seats will be implemented from KCET 2026, and we will soon be constituting a committee to set guidelines,” Sudhakar said.

Sharing more details, Sudhakar said that only in the case of new streams related to Computer Science will they be entertained. “If we receive requests for some new and emerging streams, for example, Quantum Computing. Any other existing Computer Science and related streams seats will not be enhanced,” he clarified.

The minister even mentioned that the government is planning to rationalise the intake in Computer Science and related streams.

Further, Sudhakar revealed that during the KCET 2025, of the total 1.53 lakh engineering seats available, around 99,000 were in Computer Science and related streams. “This year, we have completed the entire seat allotment process and over 15,000 engineering seats are left unfilled, of which 9,000 seats were again related to Computer Science and related streams,” Sudhakar shared.

“Everyone knows what the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) replied when I wrote them requesting to streamline Computer Science seats in 2023. Now, we are taking action following the court orders in the Telangana government’s decision on the same issue,” Sudhakar said.

This cap will be applicable for all affiliated engineering colleges, both government and private and Private Universities. As Deemed-To-be Universities fall under the purview of the University Grants Commission (UGC), the government cannot impose regulation on them.