K'taka will add 1,000 engg seats

With the demand for engineering graduates on the rise, the Karnataka government on Thursday granted permission to 12 colleges to increase the intake of students by 1,000 in all.

At present, Karnataka produces 44,000 engineering graduates of various streams every year.

"The IT sector has aimed at creating 2 lakh jobs this year. The permission to increase the intake of students in engineering colleges might appear marginal when compared to the demand. But we are doing our best to meet the market requirements," Karnataka primary and secondary education minister Basavaraja Horatti told reporters here.

The decision to enhance the engineering seats was taken at a meeting of the Karnataka Cabinet sub-committee.

"The All India Council for Technical Education has approved the increase in the intake. The seats have been distributed among 12 private unaided engineering colleges," he added.

However, Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) is yet to grant approval for the inclusion of the 1,000 seats in the state matrix.

"It is necessary for the VTU to approve the hike. Since the AICTE has already given its approval for the increase in intake, the VTU's approval should happen any time," the minister said.