Karnataka Govt directs ComedK to charge common fee

The Karnataka State Government directed Consortium of Medical Engineering and Dental Colleges of Karnataka (COMEDK), Bangalore and all private management colleges to collect common fee from the students for admissions to the professional courses from the academic year 2013-14.

According to the sources that colleges were collecting fees form the students on providing facilities like Internet, Bus service, ID card, coaching class and wifi etc,. They have collected from Rs 9,000/- to Rs 65,000/- per student during admission.

State government asked management colleges to submit a list of resources and facilities provided to students, after which the govt would sign an agreement to fixing common fees to charged by the colleges.

As per the year 2012 agreement with Comedk, the charges for a medical seat and dental seats were Rs 35.500/- and Rs 27,500 respectively, while the charges for an engineering seat ranged from Rs 33,000 to Rs 38,000/-.

According to the sources that the fee collected by the minority colleges were Rs 3.57 lakh and Rs 2.53 lakh for Medical and dental seat respectively. For the engineering seat ranged from Rs 1.10 lakh to Rs 1.37 lakh.

A meeting will be held between ComedK and state Govt in next few days, to decide the fee for different courses. Sources revealed that the government would not allow a substantial hiking of fees by the Private management colleges. Further, private colleges, who have collected excess fee from the students that greater than prescribed amount have been asked them to return the amount to the students before the commence of next academic year.

The complaints against these colleges run by religious and linguistic minorities were misusing their mandate with regard to admissions and the appointment of staff, a high level committee has been constituted to look into these institutions.

Sources revealed that the around 60% of Engineering & Medical seats were reserved for minorities, but numerous complaints regarding the sale of these seats to students from outside the state, have been received.

The Committee consisting of top officials from the fields of technical and medical education at the college level, as well as member secretary, Karnataka Knowledge Commission M K Sridhar has been asked to submit its report by March 31.