Karnataka govt to set up panel for drafting guidelines on suicide prevention at higher education institutions

Dr MC Sudhakar, Minister for Higher Education, Karnataka, said that the committee will consist of psychologists and vice-chancellors who will draft the SOPs which will apply for all higher education institutions in the state, including private institutions and deemed-to be universities.

“The SOPs will be drafted on the grounds of humanity and will guide the management on how to deal with students when he/she is caught during malpractice. Not every student will have a suicide tendency. The basic thing is to first investigate whether there has been a malpractice. During the investigation, no pressure should be mounted on students,” said Sudhakar.

He added, “The SOPs will be drafted in a way that it instills confidence among the students. They should not feel threatened. It should create a sense of ease among the students.”

The decision comes after the Karnataka Higher Education Council considered a report by an 11-member expert committee that was constituted by the state government following Prabhu’s death. The report drafted under the chairmanship of Bangalore University Vice-chancellor Dr Jayakar SM had recommended a series of changes in addressing mental health and suicide prevention among students in higher education institutions.

No separate entrance exams for universities offering professional courses from 2025-26

Starting from the 2025-26 academic year, private universities in Karnataka offering professional courses will no longer hold separate entrance exams. Acting on a directive from the Higher Education Department, these universities have formed an association and agreed to eliminate individual entrance tests. During a meeting with Dr Sudhakar on Thursday, representatives from 17 of the 32 private universities that offer professional courses confirmed their decision.

They agreed to adopt one of the existing entrance exams, such as JEE, KCET, or COMEDK, based on their preferences. Addressing the media after the meeting, Dr. Sudhakar stated, “Some universities have opted for JEE scores, others are interested in KCET, while a few prefer COMEDK. The choice is up to them.”

The department, however, has suggested the possibility of creating a unified entrance exam for all private universities. The minister also hinted that in the future, the government may explore the idea of a common entrance exam for general degree courses at private universities. “Since there are no entrance exams for general degree courses at government-run colleges and universities, no decision has been made on that front yet,” Dr. Sudhakar added.

Fee fixation

Even high fees charged by private universities was discussed in the meeting and the universities have been directed to fix the fees by constituting a fee fixation committee headed by a retired judge. “It is there in the act of every private university and we have directed them that they must fix the fees only through the committees,” the minister said.

Meanwhile, like every year, fees for the 40 per cent seats in professional courses that the private universities are filling through the KCET, will be fixed by the government.