Management quota in limelight as students keen on Hyd colleges

Students, who score low or fail to clear the competitive exam, gain entry into top private colleges through the management quota, which comprises 30% of the seats

Buoyed by the smooth conduct of the engineering and medical common entrance (Eamcet) examination in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, and renewed interest of students in Hyderabad's colleges, a section of private colleges here is considering raising fee for the management quota.

Candidates clearing Eamcet exam seek admission to engineering colleges of their choice following the open convenor quota for 70 per cent of the total seats, which is merit-based. Students, who score low or fail to clear the competitive exam, gain entry into top private colleges through the management quota, which comprises 30 per cent of the seats. While the state government had fixed a ceiling on annual tuition fee in engineering colleges at an annual Rs 35,000 in the merit category, seats going under the management quota do not have any such ceiling and on average attracts Rs 70,000-200,000 for a seat.

According to JNTU vice chancellor Rameshwar Rao, only 15-20 per cent of the total 370 engineering colleges in Telangana are following quality standards. "There has always been a strong interest for these colleges both in the merit-based convenor quota and also under the management route," he says.

Speaking to Business Standard, an official from the private college managements association said with the Telangana government's decision not to allow 150 below par colleges to operate from this academic year, and with limited options available, the missed-out students might opt for management seats by paying higher.

Education service consultants say they are already receiving enquiries from parents and students about management quota seats in colleges in Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai.

In the united Andhra Pradesh, colleges in the capital city was the most-sought after by engineering aspirants as they could land better job opportunities. However, in the aftermath of division, students from Andhra Pradesh will now have to compete those from the neighbouring states in the south. This might drive the fee higher. Last year, there were 10,000-12,000 seats under the management quota for engineering.

Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education (APSCHE) chairman L Venugopal Reddy said the government had "no say in whatever the private colleges do under the management quota" and added students and parents were responsible.

MBBS admissions

During the academic year 2014-15, management quota seats in private medical colleges went for Rs 25-40 lakh in the united state. The competent authority overseeing the admissions, NTR Health University, did not intervene to stop these colleges from charging high fees.

Ravi Raju, vice chancellor of NTR Health University, said the university had limited powers to tackle the situation and added as against the demand for 20,000 seats in the state, there were only 6,000 seats available last year.

Every year, students from the state join universities abroad, mostly Ukraine, China, Phillipines, Russia and central Asian countries, to pursue medical education.

Career advisory service providers expect medical colleges to charge high fee this year as more students are looking for colleges back home due the fallout in Ukraine and the West-imposed sanctions against Russia. They expect management quota seats to hit Rs 50 lakh and above for the four-year MBBS programme.