There are very few takers for the new biotechnology courses in Karnataka as the progress in biotech industry is very slow. Many seats are vacant for biotechnology courses even in the State's first grade degree colleges this year.

Dr G Parameshwara, minister for higher education, government of Karnataka told Pharmabiz.com that the much-hyped growth in biotechnology was not visible compared to the information technology (IT) sector and this has affected the admissions to the biotechnology courses.

Another reason for lack of response for biotechnology courses across the State and more so in Bangalore is the directive from the Karnataka government to hike the fees for biotechnology courses. Now Bangalore University students will have to pay Rs. 25,000 a year for the post- graduate (PG) course in biotechnology, microbiology and biochemistry from this academic year, which is 2002-2003.

The fee hike will severely hit the government college students, as they will have to pay more than double the early fee structure of Rs. 10,270, which is a 150 per cent hike. As for affiliated colleges, there will be an increase of Rs. 7,000 from the old fee of Rs. 18,095.

Students from the State will be worst hit by the government order, as many cannot even afford to pay the usual fees, informed sources from the university.

A section of students who are keen to take up biotechnology said that it was unreasonable on the part of the government, which promotes biotechnology to hike the fees.

The State government has bowed down to the pressures from principals of affiliated colleges and increased the management quota seats too, informed sources. All this while, Bangalore University had been choosing 70 percent of the MSc students in all courses, while 30 per cent of the total intake is to be filled up by the management.

Biotechnology is an unaided course and the State government does provide grant-in-aid for either teacher's salaries or basic lab and class infrastructure which makes it mandatory for the University to hike the fees, expressed a section of lecturers from various colleges on condition of anonymity.