More than 18,500 engineering seats within the Karnataka (Comedk) consortium remain unoccupied this year, including about 300 chairs in the highest technical universities of Bengalur, even in high demands such as information science, electronics and communication engineering and artistic intelligence (AI).
Since these seats slipped into the administrative quota, students can eventually pay 400-700% more fees for the same courses. Students and parents say that the government should re -evaluate the current 30% reservation for the comedek and move some seats to Kcet, where the demand for the highest universities remains strong despite the slight decrease in the limit values.
Currently, the VTU associated and autonomous engineering universities in Karnataka divide their chairs as 45% for KCs, 30% for COMEDK and 25% of NRI or managerial quota. Kcet seats are the most sought after because their fees are regulated by the government. Comedy fees are higher and quota seats are the most expensive. Since the rules do not allow unoccupied comedy seats to be returned to Kcet, the vacancies automatically flow to the administration. However, parents say that this gap will end the benefits for universities at the expense of students.
“This is nothing but a loss for families and profit for private institutions. The free seats of comedy must be given first before you get into the lead,” said Suri Mahesh, parent. The current system creates a beveled motivation and universities are not penalized if comedy seats do not contain because the same seats become part of the most lucrative quota, Mahesh added.
Basavanagudi, where an example of BMS College of Engineering, where this year came under Comedk 65 seats in computer science, while Kcet closed as 4919, Student Gayathri Mk, pointed out. Instead, the transfer to the proceedings multiplies the costs of the same education five to seven times, she said.
Parents demanded a receiving system with one window for Kcet and Comedk. In this way, as they explained, they would ensure that students can choose transparently in both streams and prevent the seats from slipping into the administration of the quota simply because they were not requested in one consulting system.
Parents want KTE to act independently of the Medical Counseling Committee (MCC) in terms of medical and dental acceptance. He claims that Kcet should first assign state-quota seats, and then make mop-up wheels for all vacancies created when students later ensure MCC assignment. “A similar mop-up could be used for engineering. If the seats remain unoccupied, they should be offered to students before giving up the lead,” said Gururaj Shivananda, parent.
“IF KEST and COMEDK ARE TO REMAIN SEPARATE PROCESESS, KTEC MUST CONCLUDE BEFORE COMEDK. The Current Schedule Pressures Students to Opt for Costlier Comedk Seats First and IF The Later Surrender Those Seats After Getting and Kcetes, The Vacancies re-allotted. Shivananda Added.
However, private universities defend the current model and note that Comedk was created to provide access to students outside Karnataka. They say that vacancies reflect the affordability rather than deficiencies in the system. “Families naturally prefer Kcet because it is cheaper. Comedk has higher fees, so if students cannot afford them, these places will remain unoccupied. If students or parents fear that the chairs will go to the management quota and increase fees, they should accept before comedk,” said Bengalur College.
Published – September 2025 17:01 is
