Engineering colleges struggle to fill seats, not to seek fee hike

Apprehensive of the challenges to fill engineering seats, a majority of private engineering colleges in the state have decided not to demand for fee hike for the 2020-21 academic year.

Sources in the Karnataka Unaided Private Engineering Colleges Association (KUPECA) said the fee hike is beneficial only for 10% of the colleges and the rest are finding it difficult to attract students for the seats available.

“Considering the decreasing demand for engineering courses, several colleges have approached the association requesting not to demand a fee hike,” said sources.

“Even during 2019-20 academic year, despite the 10% hike, many of us provided seats for lesser fee. As much as 90% of the private engineering colleges are average ones and are struggling to fill their seats,” the sources from KUPECA said.

Dr S Kumar, executive secretary of the Consortium of Medical, Engineering and Dental Colleges of Karnataka (ComedK) said, “About 70% of our member colleges reduced the fees. There will not be any controversy regarding fee hike as colleges decided to go with the consensual agreement signed for 10% hike last year, which will be applicable this year too”.

ComedK UGET 2020

ComedK UGET will be conducted, in association with Uni-GAUGE, on May 10, 2020 in 400 centres of 158 cities across the county for admission to undergraduate engineering courses. Along with 190 engineering colleges in state, the test scores will be considered by 31 deemed-to-be universities. Registration starts on January 16 and ends on April 17. Students can register on www.comedk.org and eee.unigauge.com