Intro
Karnataka will cap computer science engineering seats at 900 per institution to balance admissions across engineering branches.
Mangaluru
The Karnataka government has decided to regulate admissions in computer science and allied engineering courses by imposing a maximum limit of 900 seats per institution. Higher Education Minister M.C. Sudhakar said the move is aimed at ensuring balanced student distribution across different engineering branches and preventing excessive concentration in computer science-related programmers.
The minister noted that admissions to core engineering streams such as civil, mechanical and automobile engineering have witnessed a sharp decline in recent years. Students are increasingly opting for computer science courses because of attractive salary packages and better employment opportunities in the technology sector. As a result, many established engineering colleges have significantly expanded their intake in computer science and related streams, creating thousands of seats with similar curricula.
To address the growing imbalance, the state government formed a committee headed by Sowmyanarayanan Sadagopan, former director of International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore. Based on the committee’s recommendations, new engineering colleges will initially be permitted to admit only 60 students per specialization. Over four years, institutions can gradually increase intake in computer science-allied programmers up to 180 seats.
Under the new policy, colleges can offer a maximum of five computer science-related courses, with a total cap of 900 seats across all such programmers. Institutions seeking to increase intake beyond 180 seats after four years must obtain accreditation from the National Board of Accreditation. Once accredited, colleges may add 60 seats annually, subject to a maximum limit of 300 seats per course.
Existing institutions with higher student intake will receive a transition period to meet the revised guidelines. Colleges failing to secure NBA accreditation within two years may face reductions in sanctioned seats. The committee has also recommended updating engineering curricula by integrating artificial intelligence and emerging technologies into traditional branches to improve relevance and employability.
