<p class="bodytext">Engineering colleges in the state have given their consent to a 10% hike in the annual fee. This comes after consensus eluded the colleges and the government despite several rounds of negotiations.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The fee fixation committee of the Karnataka Examinations Authority had recommended capping the hike to eight per cent to make it affordable for students.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The association of private colleges had however sought a hike of 30%.</p>.<p class="bodytext">M K Panduranga Setty, president of Karnataka Unaided Engineering Colleges Association had previously said that they had sought a 30% hike as staff salaries had to be hiked.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The association had said that with the government increasing its employees’ pay, there were demands from private college staff too for a hike.</p>.<p class="bodytext">In a meeting that was convened by Minister for Higher Education G T Deve Gowda, engineering colleges budged and agreed to a 10% hike.</p>.<p class="bodytext">This comes a day after medical colleges had agreed to a 8% hike this academic year as negotiations would be time-consuming and the future of students would be at stake.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The fee regulation committee, headed by former Karnataka high court judge Justice D V Shylendra Kumar, has said that should the colleges charge anything beyond the 8% that the committee has recommended, it would take action against them even if the government permits a higher increase. However, this would be done only if students or parents complain, he said.</p>
<p class="bodytext">Engineering colleges in the state have given their consent to a 10% hike in the annual fee. This comes after consensus eluded the colleges and the government despite several rounds of negotiations.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The fee fixation committee of the Karnataka Examinations Authority had recommended capping the hike to eight per cent to make it affordable for students.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The association of private colleges had however sought a hike of 30%.</p>.<p class="bodytext">M K Panduranga Setty, president of Karnataka Unaided Engineering Colleges Association had previously said that they had sought a 30% hike as staff salaries had to be hiked.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The association had said that with the government increasing its employees’ pay, there were demands from private college staff too for a hike.</p>.<p class="bodytext">In a meeting that was convened by Minister for Higher Education G T Deve Gowda, engineering colleges budged and agreed to a 10% hike.</p>.<p class="bodytext">This comes a day after medical colleges had agreed to a 8% hike this academic year as negotiations would be time-consuming and the future of students would be at stake.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The fee regulation committee, headed by former Karnataka high court judge Justice D V Shylendra Kumar, has said that should the colleges charge anything beyond the 8% that the committee has recommended, it would take action against them even if the government permits a higher increase. However, this would be done only if students or parents complain, he said.</p>