Representative image of students studying in a college.
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Bengaluru: An engineering seat under the management quota costs a staggering Rs 64 lakh in a top Bengaluru-based college, a trend currently observed in most elite engineering colleges in the city.
According to the details available with DH, the majority of private engineering colleges have increased the fee for seats under the management quota by at least Rs 10 lakh this academic year.
Students opting for these seats must pay half the amount in the first year and the remaining over the next three years. For instance, according to details accessed by DH, a top engineering college has increased the fee from last year’s Rs 54 lakh to Rs 64 lakh this year, with Rs 32 lakh to be paid in the first year and the rest over the next three years.
Despite the hefty price tag, management quota seats have been filled in most top-tier colleges. When DH contacted a few of these colleges, it was found that seats in Computer Science and related streams were already taken. Even the available seats in core branches are in high demand with a high fee structure. A parent said, “We inquired about management seats in Computer Science and Electronics and Communication at least with five colleges in Bengaluru, but there are no seats available.”
Experts attribute the demand for management quota seats to the ‘brand’ craze among students and parents. Sanjeev Kubkaddi, academician and former member of the Executive Council at Visvesvaraya Technological University, said, “It is due to the affordability among parents. Also, students and parents are focused on specific branches and brands.”
Vidyashankar S, Vice Chancellor of VTU, said parents and students have become more selective. He also noted that the number of seats available under management quota has increased this year. “With the AICTE removing the cap on intake enhancement, the seats offered under the management quota have risen. Some colleges have an intake of 1,000 students this year, and 20% of those seats will go to management,” he added.
Interestingly, education loans are not available for management quota seats, and those who wish to join these seats are from the affluent class. “Not even upper-middle-class families can opt for management seats. Only kids from wealthy backgrounds typically join through management quota. For such parents, admitting their children into a top college is a matter of pride. We have seen several such students having backlogs and not performing well academically,” said a principal of a private engineering college in Bengaluru.
Almost 20% of the total intake will be filled under the management quota, and students who have qualified in any of the entrance exams are eligible.
The fees for seats will be determined by the respective college managements. The government has no role in the process. Any seats left unfilled under the government and COMED-K quota will be transferred to the colleges and filled through the management quota.
Highlights - l Despite hefty fees, seats filled in most top-tier colleges l Computer Science and related streams in great demand l Experts attribute this to ‘brand’ craze among students and parents