HYDERABAD: Students are yet to take the Engineering Agriculture and Medical Common Entrance Test (EAMCET), but management quota seats in sought-after colleges are already on offer and selling like hot cakes despite the mind-boggling fee quoted.

Call it capitation fee or simply cashing in on the parents' weakness, college managements of popular colleges are quoting a fee of Rs. 8 lakhs to Rs. 13 lakhs depending on the college, branch and acquaintance of the seeker. Parents who are unsure of their wards' performance in the entrance test are leaving nothing to chance.

Top choice

Computer Science Engineering and Electronics streams continue to be top choice of parents and they are quoted on the higher side. Though a bit less, the fee of Mechanical, Electrical and Civil Engineering branches too is unaffordable for the common man. The fee charged is not only exorbitant but also illegal since the Government has fixed Rs. 80,000 as the management seat fee. But given the brand name of the colleges and job opportunities available for engineering students, parents despite feeling the pinch are ready to cough up the quoted price.

About 10 to 15 colleges that could be placed among the top engineering colleges in the State are enjoying the demand from the students. These colleges are mostly located around Hyderabad and Vishakapatnam.

"Though the seats are still available, I am thinking twice because of the exorbitant figure quoted," says Narender Reddy, whose son has just completed Intermediate and preparing for EAMCET and AIEEE.

He is confident that going by the placement record of these colleges, his son would have a bright future. Similar is the feeling of several other parents who have approached for the seats.

"My daughter is insisting on a particular college and she is not even willing to wait till the test is over," says another parent.

Placement records

A surprising element is parents are not giving prime importance to the branch in the top colleges. Parents feel even students of Civil and Mechanical branches of these colleges are able to find placements in top companies. Of course, the placement records of the colleges also prove it.

Senior officials in the Education Department are full of requests for seats in the identified colleges. Recommendations don't mean concessions here but only guarantee for a seat.

"I just had confirmed a seat for the daughter of a professor friend in a top college," agreed an official.

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