50% fee cut in Karnataka government engineering colleges for low-demand streams

India Today

11-07-2025

To streamline the admission process and ensure transparency, Karnataka's Department of Technical Education has introduced a series of new guidelines for engineering college admissions in 2025. The reforms cover everything from fee structures and quota allocations to strict penalties for vacant seats, with a clear focus on affordability and merit.Engineering colleges in Karnataka will now reserve 15% of seats for NRI and NRI-sponsored candidates, while 10% will fall under the Management Quota. Officials have clarified that these admissions must follow transparent procedures, eliminating any scope for backdoor entries.advertisementFurthermore, to encourage access amongst financially weaker sections, a Supernumerary Quota (SNQ) of 5% has been introduced across all AICTE-approved institutions. This is aimed at meritorious students whose family income is below Rs8 lakh per annum. Students admitted under SNQ will not have to pay tuition fees and will only be required to pay a nominal university fee of Rs10,610.FEE STRUCTURED REVISED FOR 2025
The annual fee for government engineering colleges affiliated with Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) and the University of Mysore has been fixed at Rs44,200. UVCE students will pay Rs49,600 annually, which includes a tuition component of Rs32,000.In private colleges, aided courses will follow the government fee slab of Rs44,200. However, unaided courses will have two tiers of fees — Rs81,800 or Rs91,000 — depending on the category of the COMED-K seat allotted.Importantly, for private unaided colleges, any additional or "other" fees charged must be capped at ?20,000 per year and publicly disclosed on college websites to ensure full transparency.CONCESSION FOR LOW-DEMAND BRANCHESTo boost enrolment in certain core branches that have seen declining interest, the government has offered a 50% fee concession in government colleges for the following courses:Mechanical EngineeringTextile TechnologyAutomobile EngineeringSilk TechnologyCivil EngineeringThe move is aimed at reviving student interest in these traditionally significant disciplines.NRI AND MANAGEMENT QUOTA CAPSStrict limits have been placed on the number of seats allocated under the NRI and Management categories. Non-minority colleges can only offer up to 25% of their seats under these quotas, while minority institutions may extend this to 30%. This restriction is intended to protect merit-based admissions and discourage the misuse of high-fee quotas.PENALITIES FOR NON-COMPLIANCEIn a strong push for accountability, engineering colleges that fail to report surrendered, or vacant seats will face severe financial penalties. The penalty could go up to five times the regular fee for each unreported seat, a move meant to curb manipulation and enforce proper seat surrender procedures.- Ends