Eapcet counselling begins today with old fee structure
Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has rejected the steep hike in BTech and engineering courses recommended by the Admissions and Fee Regulatory Committee (AFRC) for 2025-26. The hike proposed by AFRC had have been in effect for three academic years, if approved.
He said that the engineering counselling process should commence as scheduled on Saturday, and follow the existing old fee structure until the revised, justified fee slabs are determined.
According to official sources, the Chief Minister was not satisfied with the methodology adopted by the AFRC in arriving at the new fee proposals. Revanth Reddy, who also holds the education portfolio, directed officials to initiate a fresh round of college-wise inspections to determine fees in a more accurate and transparent manner.
Some colleges were recommended hikes ranging from 52 to 84 per cent, nearly doubling the existing fees, a move that could have made engineering education inaccessible for students from weaker socio-economic backgrounds.
The AFRC bases its recommendations on audited financial statements submitted by private engineering colleges, which detail income and expenditure, including salaries, infrastructure development and other facilities provided to students.
The Chief Minister is said to have raised serious concerns over the authenticity of these records. He reportedly felt that many college managements had submitted inflated or false accounts to justify higher fees, without any substantial improvement in infrastructure or academic quality.
The state government, therefore, plans to undertake a fresh comprehensive, ground-level evaluation of engineering colleges. This will include inspections of faculty strength, infrastructure, laboratory facilities, buildings and other student amenities. A committee is expected to be appointed soon to supervise this review and come up with a realistic, college-wise fee structure.
The Chief Minister also stressed the need to align engineering colleges with global academic and technical standards, especially in emerging fields like artificial intelligence (AI). He said Telangana's engineering institutions should be capable of competing internationally and must prepare students to meet changing market demands.
The government is considering a framework that allows colleges to engage in structured planning and consultations with the government to upgrade facilities and teaching methods accordingly.
In determining fees, the government is also taking into account landmark Supreme Court judgments, such as in the ‘Islamic Academy of Education v. Karnataka’ and ‘P.A. Inamdar v. Maharashtra’, which lay down clear guidelines. These include considering factors like teaching and non-teaching staff salaries, facilities and long-term institutional development plans.
The Chief Minister also highlighted discrepancies in the actions of the previous BRS government, which, despite vigilance and enforcement department inspection reports on several colleges, failed to take action. Allegations had emerged during the BRS regime that fee hikes were allowed selectively, favouring a few colleges while discriminating against others.
In contrast, the present Congress government aims to ensure a uniform, fair and fact-based approach to fee regulation while completing the counselling process on time.
