Private colleges fear more vacant engineering seats this year

The Covid-19 crisis has left private engineering college managements in the state in fear as many of them face the threat of more seats going vacant this year.

The managements feel that students from other states may not prefer to join colleges in the state this year considering the Covid-19 scenario.

Every year, the Consortium of Medical Engineering and Dental Colleges of Karnataka (Comed-K) takes around 18,000 candidates for seats available in over 190 private engineering colleges by conducting entrance test and counselling. As per the details available from Comed-K, around 9,000 seats were left unfilled during 2019.

“The number of unfilled seats is likely to increase this year due to Covid,” said Dr S Kumar Executive Secretary of Comed-K.

Not just the average colleges, this fear is also haunting the top colleges. “Every year, we used to get flooded with calls relating to management quota seats. But, this year such calls have become rare,” says principal of one of the top 10 engineering colleges in Karnataka.

“We don’t think we can fill even 50% of the seats available under Comed-K quota at our colleges because the majority of students who opt for these seats are from outside Karnataka,” said a principal of one of the private engineering colleges in Bengaluru.

The colleges are also coming up with initiatives to draw students. Some are thinking of offering discounts on fee and giving installment options for paying fees.

“Instead of keeping seats vacant, it’s better to give some offers and fill them,” says a management representative of a private engineering college in Bengaluru. Meanwhile, to help the member colleges, Comed-K is thinking of conducting at least two additional rounds of counseling this year. Generally Comed-K conducts three rounds of counseling.

Entrance test

The entrance test (Comed-K) for undergraduate engineering courses at over 190 private engineering colleges for 2020-21 academic year will be conducted on Wednesday.

This year, Comed-K will be held in two sessions at 259 centres in 160 cities. Over 61,290 candidates have registered for the test all over India.

A release sent by Comed-K directed candidates to wear masks compulsorily and report as per the details sent via SMS. Candidates have been asked to download the admission ticket and carry the same along with two recent passport size photographs.

Candidates must carry a transparent water bottle, mask, gloves, sanitisers along with related documents.