Karnataka Higher Education Minister Urges AICTE to Halt Establishment of New Engineering Colleges for 2 Years, Exercise Control Over Student Admissions to Prevent ‘Unscientific’ Seat Expansion

The minister in his letter highlighted that the unscientific decisions on adding courses and increasing seats has led to the deterioration and has threatened the survival of AICTE approved colleges in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.

In view of growing violations among state private institutions (offering engineering and technical courses), Karnataka Higher Education Minister Dr MC Sudhakar in a letter dated September 14 sought All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) intervention to curb the ‘unscientific’ and ‘abnormal’ increase of seats in such institutions for different engineering courses.

The minister expressed the need for the state government to control the increase of seats in state private institutions (in IT related courses) and decrease of seats (in traditional courses) in engineering/technology by fixing the limit for minimum and maximum seats in a particular course/programme which they can offer. In addition, the minister also sought restrictions or ban on starting new engineering colleges/universities with professional courses mainly in metro/tier 1 cities for the next two-three years.

The minister also suggested AICTE penalise for violation of Norms and Requirement (Standards) to curb abnormal changes in number of seats and to make state government permission (no-objection certificate) as a compulsory requirement for increase/decrease/course intake/course similar to starting of new college/closure of college before proceeding for AICTE recommendation.

The minister in his letter highlighted that the unscientific decisions on adding courses and increasing seats has led to the deterioration and has threatened the survival of AICTE approved colleges in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.