Further cut in number of engg colleges likely

Fee reimbursement is meant for students not colleges: Kadiyam

Hyderabad: Hinting at slashing the number of engineering colleges for having seats more than the number of students qualifying through EAMCET, Deputy Chief Minister Kadiyam Srihari on Saturday said teams of officials had conducted thorough inspections at the existing 288 engineering colleges to check standards and facilities provided in these colleges as per government norms.

Speaking to media persons, Srihari, who also holds Education portfolio, said fee reimbursement was meant for students alone and not for the colleges. He denied allegations that the fee reimbursement was for benefiting the engineering colleges. “Our intention is to ensure that the students get quality education and get better job,” he said. The Deputy Chief Minister said another round of inspections would be conducted in these engineering colleges.

Later, the government would take a decision on admissions for 2015-16, Srihari said. However, he made it clear that steps would be taken to ensure justice to every student. No student would be meted out injustice, he remarked. While there are 1.66 lakh seats in 288 engineering colleges, there are only half the number of students getting qualified, he felt. These institutions, he said, should be in a position to offer quality education, practical knowledge and enable the students to excel in academics. Details of these colleges were made available online and college managements could approach the government for any clarity, he added.