Hyderabad: Engineering colleges in Telangana are preparing to charge significantly higher fees from the upcoming academic year, sparking questions over whether the increases are justified by improvements in infrastructure or teaching standards. Several top private colleges have proposed fee hikes of 50 to 100 per cent, prompting students and education experts to call for greater transparency in the regulation process.The Telangana Fee Regulation Committee (FRC) is scheduled to finalise the revised fee structure this week. Under state rules, engineering colleges are allowed to revise fees once every three years. The new fees, once approved, will apply to students joining in 2025–26 and remain in force for three academic years. However, questions have emerged over how audit reports submitted by colleges are being reviewed, and whether the recommendations are based on reliable information.As per the FRC’s guidelines, colleges are required to submit income and expenditure reports, infrastructure and faculty details, and audited financial statements to justify any increase. But there are allegations that the same auditors who prepare these reports are also involved in reviewing them within the committee. “There are serious concerns of conflict of interest. Some colleges seem to be inflating expenses or citing vague claims of faculty upgrades without showing actual improvements on the ground,” said an academic official familiar with the fee review process.Colleges like CBIT, VNR Vignana Jyothi, Vasavi, MGIT, and Narayanamma are among those that may see steep hikes. CBIT, for example, has proposed an increase from Rs 1.65 lakh to Rs 2.23 lakh per annum. VNR is seeking to raise its annual fee from Rs 1.35 lakh to Rs 2.2 lakh. In all, over 40 colleges may charge more than Rs 2 lakh per year, while at least 33 are looking to double their fees.Students say such increases feel arbitrary. “We don’t know if these hikes are based on better labs, libraries or faculty. All we see are numbers,” said Sharan K, a third-year student. “Why not make audit details public — like faculty qualifications and salaries — so students can judge for themselves?”A professor at a top engineering college in the city said that fee hikes must be matched with clear benefits to students. “If a college claims high expenses, it should show where the money is going — better classrooms, properly paid staff, functioning labs. Otherwise, it’s just an empty hike,” he said. He added that students should have access to verified infrastructure and salary data before choosing colleges.The FRC has been reviewing proposals from 157 private colleges, some of which had sought fees as high as Rs 2.9 lakh annually. While a few were scaled down, many hikes are likely to be approved. The committee is expected to submit its final recommendations to the government this week, following which the new fee structure will be notified. Until then, students are urging the government to ensure that any hike is backed by visible improvements and accountability. “If these colleges want to charge more, they should first prove that they’ve delivered more,” Patta Laxman, a student representative, said.
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