Students in Government engineering colleges will have to pay more for this year. The State Government has increased the fees in Government engineering colleges for the 2021-22 academic year by ₹10,000 from the previous academic year.

According to a note issued by the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA), ₹10,000 has been added as ‘other fees’. Overall, students will be paying ₹33,810 now.

Sources in the Higher Education Department said that colleges were allowed to hike the fees by ₹10,000 to upgrade their infrastructure.

“For several years, the fees in Government engineering colleges were not hiked. Engineering colleges had to wait for funds from the Government if they had to upgrade their infrastructure. As a result of this, many Government engineering colleges had obsolete laboratories and dilapidated classrooms,” a source in the department said, justifying the hike.

Incidentally, the fees for Government quota and private quota seats in private engineering colleges were not hiked this year.

Students and student organisations have questioned the hike in fees in Government colleges during the pandemic. “Majority of students from middle class families who have toiled hard will be eyeing seats in Government engineering colleges through the CET counselling. Even a marginal hike in fees will may professional education out of their reach,” said Shreyas S., an engineering seat aspirant.

Many students were taken by surprise as the notification was issued only on Tuesday after the first round of seat allotment was done.

Sithara H. M, Bengaluru district president, All India Democratic Students’ Organisation (AIDSO) said due to the pandemic, many students in rural areas have given up their dreams of higher education. “Many students in rural communities, whose families’ livelihood depends on agriculture, are affected a lot due to heavy rains. Moreover, the additional fees has been announced during a crisis at the last moment, which has shocked students. ”

Amaresh Kadagada, State President, Students Federation of India said that they had convened a meeting on Thursday in this regard. “If the fee hike is not rolled back, we will protest and stay put in front of the Higher Education Minister’s residence,” he said.