BENGALURU: Following thousands of seats remaining vacant in the past two years after Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA)’s CET counselling, the expert committee headed by Prof Sadagopan regarding the capping of Computer Science seats has submitted a report to the government and said that capping Computer Science Engineering (CSE) seats alone risks brain drain.
However, it recommended introducing Core+AI curriculum and faculty training. The committee also suggested that, at any time, private universities and institutions cannot start more than five Computer Science (CS) related courses. It also said that the overall intake of CS related courses shall not be more than 900. It has suggested for 17% seat reduction in CSE from 2026-27 and redirect freed seats to Core+AI branches.
“Pair the cap with core-branch transformation. Capping CSE alone risks brain drain. Introduce Core+AI curriculum and faculty training, adopt the 9- step rebalancing formula, refresh three year baseline from 2027-28,” it read.
In the year 2026-27, around 9,000 CSE seats went vacant in the state engineering colleges. To review student intake and reform technical education, also cap the seats of CSE and related field for the academic year of 2026-27, Karnataka constituted 10 members committee headed by Prof S Sadagopan, ex-Director of the International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore.
The committee also recommended embedding AI and Machine Learning as an analytical instrument to all undergraduate disciplines, not a standalone elective, Mathematics as the backbone. “Mandate test-to-failure product labs every semester from 2027-28, anchored in active learning and professional ethics. Scale Core+AI competent core engineering output from 22,000 to 75,000 graduates per year.”
Meanwhile, for new institutions, it has recommended 60 intake for the given course for any private university or private engineering college to begin with.
Interestingly, to ensure quality the committee recommended mandatory NBA (National Board of Accreditation) certificate for the institutions whose intake crosses more than 300 in particular discipline within the two years from the date of publication of these regulations.