Bengaluru: With the Karnataka Fee and Admission Regulatory Committee’s term ending Friday, the higher education department has sought an extension.The committee holds the essential statutory mandate of reviewing institutional balance sheets, verifying infrastructure, and establishing non-exploitative tuition structures across private professional colleges in the state. Its presence acts as a safeguard to prevent commercialisation and shield students from unauthorised mid-term financial demands during active admission cycles.With the higher education admissions season fast approaching, the committee’s decisions on fee caps and merit seat allotments are vital for maintaining equilibrium between private managements and aspiring student bodies.Previous years have consistently seen dozens of student grievances regarding overcharging, making structural oversight indispensable during intense admission periods managed by authorities like Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA). Tulsi Maddineni, secretary, higher education department, said, “We’ve moved the files seeking extension of the committee; the final decision has to be taken by the minister.”Higher education minister Basavaraj Rayareddi was not available for comment.
