Alarmed by an unregulated explosion in computer science seats and the looming threat of a severe job crisis, the Karnataka government announced on Tuesday that it is actively considering rationalizing seat numbers and imposing intake caps in specific engineering streams.
A Looming Crisis: The Computer Science 'Bubble'
Higher Education Minister MC Sudhakar directly addressed the concerning trend in the Legislative Council, acknowledging the existence of a 'bubble' in computer science seats. He stated that the government intends to regulate student intake to safeguard the future of thousands of students. The minister warned that allowing this unchecked trend to continue would inevitably lead to a job crisis, leaving many graduates unemployed.
The government's move comes in response to widespread complaints about the current allocation of engineering seats. Out of the total 1.5 lakh engineering seats available in the state this academic year, a staggering 99,707 seats are in computer science and related streams. This massive skew towards one discipline has raised red flags about market saturation and educational quality.
Stark Disparity Between Government and Private Colleges
The issue of disproportionate seat allocation was sharply highlighted by BJP MLC Dhananjay Sarji. He pointed out the severe imbalance not only between streams but also between government and private institutions. Karnataka has 229 engineering colleges, but only 27 are government-run.
The numbers reveal a deep divide: while government engineering colleges offer a mere 6,495 seats, private universities alone account for 33,000 seats. Furthermore, government colleges typically allocate only about 10% of their total intake to computer science, focusing on a more balanced spread of core engineering branches.
Sarji criticized specific private institutions for their skewed focus. He cited one university where, out of a total approved intake of 4,320 engineering seats, a whopping 4,020 seats were earmarked for computer science and allied streams.
Faculty Shortages and Regulatory Challenges
The debate also exposed critical gaps in faculty strength, raising questions about the quality of education in seats-heavy private colleges. Applying the standard government norm of one assistant professor for every 20 students, Sarji calculated that the aforementioned private university would need 864 assistant professors, 192 associate professors, and 96 professors to meet basic academic standards.
Minister Sudhakar framed the problem as one of market dominance, stating, 'A big fish is eating the smaller fish.' He explained that private universities and colleges with massive infrastructure are creating survival difficulties for institutions in tier-2 and tier-3 cities. The minister revealed that he had previously written to the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) requesting intervention to regulate intake. However, the council declined, stating it could not intervene as the permissions were granted based on the surging market demand.
In his defense of the proposed caps, Sudhakar informed the Council that similar regulatory steps taken by the Telangana government had been upheld by both the High Court and the Supreme Court, setting a legal precedent for Karnataka's planned action.
The government's announcement signals a major policy shift aimed at preventing a future glut of computer science graduates and ensuring the long-term health and employability of Karnataka's engineering education sector.
