MANGALURU: Higher Education Minister Dr MC Sudhakar said on Friday that the Karnataka government is preparing to regulate student intake in Computer Science and related engineering programems by setting up a 900-seat cap to ensure a more balanced distribution across disciplines.
He was speaking after inaugurating the Mphasis AI and Robotics Lab at Sahyadri College of Engineering and Management, Adyar, Mangaluru.
Dr Sudhakar said a sharp decline in civil, mechanical, and automobile engineering admissions as students increasingly opt for computer science-related courses, attracted by higher salary packages. Many established institutions have expanded computer science programmes with overlapping curricula, resulting in thousands of seats, he said.
To address this, the government formed a committee headed by Prof Sowmyanarayanan Sadagopan, former Director of IIIT-Bangalore. New engineering colleges can start with 60 students per specialisation, with computer science-related programs allowed to expand to a maximum of 180 students over four years.
Institutions may offer up to five computer science-related courses, with a total ceiling of 900 seats across all programmes. To increase intake beyond 180, after four years, colleges must obtain the National Board of Accreditation (NBA), after which they can add 60 seats per year, up to a maximum of 300 per course.
Existing institutions with high intakes will have a transition period to comply. They must obtain NBA accreditation within two years, failing which the state will reduce their sanctioned seats. The committee has also recommended curriculum updates to integrate AI and emerging technologies into traditional branches.