Engineering colleges agree to 10% fee hike

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.

The fee fixation committee of the Karnataka Examinations Authority had recommended capping the hike to eight per cent to make it affordable for students.

The association of private colleges had however sought a hike of 30%.

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.

The association had said that with the government increasing its employees’ pay, there were demands from private college staff too for a hike.

In a meeting that was convened by Minister for Higher Education G T Deve Gowda, engineering colleges budged and agreed to a 10% hike.

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.

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.