There seems to be a state of confusion among the student community who opted for  Engineering in the state. The new system being brought in by the Government will only drive the students away from the state colleges.

Some of them have already crossed the borders to join in other states. Further the students who would join the colleges under the fee reimbursement scheme will have to struggle to survive. They have to pass half of the subjects in all, in the first year to continue with the fee reimbursement scheme. Apart from this the colleges should upgrade themselves to survive from the inspections and the onslaught of the newly constituted task force.

The fee is bound to go up in some colleges and the burden is to be absorbed by the students except for the SC and ST students. A concept of bank loans is being introduced by the Government to finance the students but it has to be seen how far they would succeed. The delay in counseling and the change in systems apart from restrictions in the fee reimbursement are forcing the students to think twice before they opt for the Engineering stream.

There are apprehensions that some of the decisions taken by the Government might be challenged in the courts leading to legal tangles which might further delay the process of admissions. Getting clarity on the fee structure for the A and B categories and also the fee reimbursement pattern is the need of the hour.

Out of the 700 colleges about 133 colleges opted for change in the fee structure while others wanted to continue with the existing structure. If the uniform pattern of fee structure is implemented as directed by the court, then the colleges who do not have proper standards and infrastructure will also have to  implement the hike which goes against the interest of the students.

There were suggestions from some Ministers that the Government should run the  Engineering colleges so that quality and standards can be maintained apart from making it affordable for the common man.

The Government on the other hand said that the designated committee will have to study the financial implications arising out of the Supreme Court order and suggest them on how to minimize the financial burden for  providing “affordable education with high standards”.

The demand for the Engineering colleges is low as the number of students is less when compared to the colleges and seats available in the state. In this context of the fee is raised in the prominent colleges, the students might opt for going out of the state. The poor students who may get the seats under the merit, but do not qualify for the fee reimbursement might also be forced to go away from the Engineering stream. The Government must now make a loud thinking as to who it should retain the students in the state apart from making the Engineering education affordable for them. By the time the new system is streamlined it might take another year.

It has to be seen as to how many of the students would clear half of the subjects in the first year to get qualified for the fee reimbursement scheme in the second year. Results in the last several years indicated that most of the students failed in major subjects in the first two years.

If they fail, they do not qualify for fee reimbursement in the second year. This will reduce the burden on the students in the first year, but the poor students will be forced to discontinue with the studies. Putting the management seats on line with notification and merit is a welcome decision taken by the Government. But one has to see how far the government will be able to restrict the colleges from selling the seats at higher rates.