Karnataka govt to regulate mushrooming of engineering colleges in Tier-1 cities

In a bid to curb the mushrooming of engineering colleges in the state, especially in tier-1 cities, such as Bengaluru, the state government is mulling bringing stricter regulations from the next academic year.

Following the response by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to  higher education minister Dr M C Sudhakar’s letter requesting stringent regulations to bring down the number of colleges in tier 1 cities, the department of higher education has decided to bring in regulations at the state level.

In a reply to the minister’s letter, the AICTE said some institutions come under the purview of the state. Considering this, the department is thinking of bringing amendments to the Technical Education regulations.

While issuing No Objection Certificate (NOC) every year for renewal of affiliation and increase in intake or setting up of new colleges, the department will be more vigilant by adding new conditions.

“We are verifying the legalities to bring in regulations at the state-level,” Sudhakar said. 

The department is also planning to make Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) accountable. “There are instances where University clears permission for the engineering colleges with the condition to fulfill some criteria later. But this is affecting the quality of engineering education in the state. To avoid that, we need to make VTU accountable by bringing in the amendment,” Sudhakar said.

Citing a recent incident of a college located in Kolar district, Sudhakar said, “I recently received a video message from students of a private engineering college in rural part of Kolar where there are no faculties and lab facilities. I was wondering how that college was permitted.”

By bringing in the amendments, the department is planning to put a cap even on the intake (seats) for specific streams and opening of new colleges at tier-1 cities. “There is a need for national-level regulations. Like the regulations framed for establishing medical colleges and increase in intake at the existing medical colleges by the National Medical Commission, there is a need for one for engineering education, too,” he said.

As far as Deemed to be Universities are concerned, the minister said that he will soon write to the University Grants Commission (UGC).

Karnataka has more than 200 engineering colleges, most of them are
privately run.