Fee hike in pvt engineering colleges capped at 10%: Minister Ashwath Narayan

Bengaluru: Limiting the hike in fees for engineering courses in private colleges for the current academic (2022-23) at 10 per cent as against the demand for 25 per cent, the State government on Wednesday said from next year COMED-K entrance test will be merged with Common Entrance Test (CET).

At a meeting chaired by Higher Education Minister C N Ashwath Narayan, with representatives of KUPECA (Karnataka Unaided Private Engineering Colleges Association), an agreement was reached for fee hike to be capped at 10 per cent, the minister's office said in a release.

The fee hike is applicable to those students who have been allotted government seats in private engineering colleges.

Further, KUPECA representatives assured that they would voluntarily extend support to the government to take action against those who collect an extra fee by any other means. "KUPECA had demanded a 25 per cent hike in fees as there has been no increase for last two years, from 2020-21. But, on consultation, they finally agreed to a 10 per cent hike," Narayan said.

It has also been decided to cancel the COMED-K exam from next year and instead, it will be merged with the CET and conducted at once at the All India level.

The eligibility for admission will be based on the ranking students secure in the merged CET and seat sharing will continue as at present.

Minister Narayan said the modalities for merging COMED-K with CET will be worked out as the next course of action.

While, the government's Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) conducts CET for admissions to various undergraduate professional courses in the state, the Consortium of Medical Engineering and Dental Colleges of Karnataka (COMEDK) entrance exam are for admissions to undergraduate engineering courses at private engineering colleges in the state.