The Karnatakagovernment on Thursday decided to slash fees for engineering courses by Rs10,000 from this academic year for 25 per cent seats out of its 50 per centquota.

"The fee will be reduced from Rs 25,000 to Rs 15,000 in all government,aided and private colleges for government quota seats during 2009-10 academicyear," Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa told reporters after reviewing theprogress in Higher Education, Primary and Secondary Education and Women andChild Development ministries.

He said the government did not intend to scrap the Common Entrance Test toselect students for professional courses.

Yeddyurappa said Kannada medium schools would get priority in the state andreferred to the Supreme Court yesterday admitting a Special Leave Petitionfiled by Karnataka, challenging the state High Court order in July 2008,directing the government to permit English Medium Schools.

He also said it was decided to grant permission to 100 private colleges tostart courses this year as about 5.90 lakh SSLC students had cleared the examand there was a rush for first year pre-university courses.

Currently state colleges have capacity to absorb 5.75 lakh students in thecourses.