Traditional engineering courses losing popularity in Karnataka as students flock to AI, ML: Report
Bengaluru: Traditional engineering disciplines such as mechanical and civil engineering are reportedly losing popularity among students in Karnataka, as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) courses see a surge in demand.
Several engineering colleges have approached the state’s Higher Education Department seeking either a reduction in intake or complete closure of conventional engineering programmes, The New Indian Express quoted officials as saying.
This year, colleges had anticipated a revival in mechanical engineering admissions, particularly under the management quota, due to increasing opportunities in sectors like manufacturing and defence. Similar interest was also expected for government quota seats. However, the interest has reportedly not materialised as expected.
A senior official, quoted by TNIE, said that the popularity of AI-related courses has continued to rise from last year. “This is largely due to the increasing number of job opportunities in AI-related fields, strong demand from the IT industry, and a growing awareness among students about the future potential of emerging technologies like ML and data science,” the official said.
For the academic year 2025–26, a total of 1,35,969 engineering seats have been made available across 217 colleges in Karnataka, including 64,047 under the government quota. This marks a reduction of 5,313 seats compared to 2024–25, when 1,41,009 seats were offered across 245 institutions, with 66,663 in the government quota, the report added.
The final seat matrix for the upcoming year has not yet been released. Officials confirmed that decision to reduce or close certain courses has already been made. Any increase in seats, especially for AI, ML, and related disciplines, will be reflected once all colleges update and submit their data.
Despite an earlier proposal to freeze Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) seats, a substantial number are still available this year. A total of 33,813 CSE seats have been offered, including 15,754 under the government quota. Last year, there were 35,013 CSE seats, of which 16,280 were in the government quota. Additionally, 18,492 seats are available in Electronics and Communication Engineering, and 8,538 in Information Science and Engineering.
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Rupee falls 9 paise to all-time low of 90.58 against US dollar in early trade
Mumbai (PTI): Rupee depreciated 9 paise to an all-time low of 90.58 against US dollar in early trade on Monday, weighed down by uncertainty over an India-US trade deal and persistent foreign fund outflows.
Forex traders said rupee is trading with a negative bias as investors are in wait and watch mode and awaiting cues from the India-US trade deal front.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 90.53 against the US dollar, then fell further to an all-time intraday low of 90.58 against the greenback, registering a fall of 9 paise over its previous close.
On Friday, the rupee had slipped 17 paise to close at an all-time low of 90.49 against the American currency.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.05 per cent lower at 98.35.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading higher by 0.52 per cent at USD 61.44 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, the 30-share benchmark index Sensex was trading 298.86 points lower at 84,968.80, while the Nifty was down 121.40 points at 25,925.55.
Foreign Institutional Investors sold equities worth Rs 1,114.22 crore on Friday, according to exchange data.
"FPIs continue to be in selling mode in equity and debt while RBI has been selling dollars to fund their long positions," said Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP.
