HYDERABAD: The state government has decided to constitute a committee to review and recommend revisions to the engineering college fee structure. A final decision on fees will be made after the committee submits its report.
According to sources, the government plans to adopt a rational approach in determining the fees. Any fee hike will be based on factors such as available staff, quality of coaching, laboratories, buildings, and other facilities.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has stated that engineering colleges in the state should meet international standards, particularly as courses like Artificial Intelligence are increasingly impacting the technology sector.
The aim is to design a system under which colleges progress in a planned manner, in consultation with the government and in line with market demands. As part of this, it wants all engineering colleges to have the required faculty, laboratories and other facilities as per AICTE guidelines. The fee structure for individual colleges will be determined based on these parameters.
TG to follow SC rulings on tech colleges fees
Sources said the government will follow Supreme Court rulings in Islamic Academy of Education vs Karnataka and PA Inamdar and others vs Maharashtra. The court had held that laboratories, staff salaries, plans, and efforts to improve academic standards should be considered when fixing fees. The state government has decided to adhere to these guidelines.
The Vigilance and Enforcement wing has already conducted inspections of engineering colleges. However, the previous BRS government did not act on its report, sources noted. Despite this, the BRS regime allowed fee hikes for some colleges while denying them to others.
The present Congress government has decided to review the Vigilance report and re-inspect engineering colleges. A committee will be set up for this purpose. The government also plans to complete the engineering admissions counselling process within the stipulated period.