Bengaluru: According to sources, students have questioned the “untimely move” by the Karnataka government to increase fees at State-run engineering colleges by Rs. 10,000 starting in the current academic year, 2021-22, citing the financial crisis caused by Covid-19 and related restrictions.
At an updated fee structure for students pursuing engineering courses in State-run colleges, the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) mentioned an additional Rs. 10,000 as “other fees” in a recent note. As a result, students’ total fees have increased to Rs. 33,810.
According to sources, the move was justified by top officials in the Higher Education Department, which stated that fees at government engineering colleges had not been increased in several years.
The Karnataka government, on the other hand, has reached an agreement with private engineering institutions not to raise fees during the current academic year. “The fees for engineering courses in private colleges would remain the same for students who were enrolled this year under the government quota. The fees would be split into two slabs of Rs 65,340 and Rs 58,806 each,” said Higher Education Minister C. N. Ashwathnarayan said in September.
According to sources, Karnataka Secretary of the All India Democratic Students Organisation (AIDSO), Ajay Kamath, called the move “anti-student and anti-education.” “The government must immediately reverse the fee hike and reinstate the earlier fee structure. It’s also past time for a separate order to be issued prohibiting institutions from collecting additional fees for development purposes,” he added.
