Government Engineering College Challakere — Fees, Placements & Admission 2026

GEC Challakere charges the Karnataka Government (CET quota) fee notified annually by the Department of Collegiate and Technical Education, Government of Karnataka — typically in the range of Rs 20,000 to Rs 40,000 per academic year for the Karnataka CET category, making it one of the most affordable engineering colleges in the region. Fees under management/COMEDK category are higher, typically Rs 60,000 to Rs 1.2 lakh per year. VTU examination fees (approximately Rs 1,500-2,500 per semester) and AICTE registration fees are paid separately. Fee structures are revised each academic year by DCTE Karnataka notification.

Hostel accommodation (separate for boys and girls) is available on or near campus at approximately Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000 per academic year covering room and mess; charges vary slightly between boys and girls hostels and across years. Students also pay one-time admission-year charges including VTU registration, identity card, library and laboratory deposits of approximately Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000. Books, stationery and personal expenses add Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 per year. Total first-year cost of attendance for a Karnataka Government-category student is typically in the Rs 60,000 to Rs 90,000 range — significantly lower than private engineering college costs in Karnataka.

GEC Challakere students are eligible for a wide range of scholarships: Karnataka state government Post-Matric scholarships (for SC, ST, OBC, minority and disabled students), Fee Reimbursement schemes for category-1 and economically weaker sections, the Chief Minister's Merit Scholarship, the DCTE Karnataka fee waiver scheme, and the central Government National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship. Students applying via the National Scholarship Portal can also access central-government and state-government merit and merit-cum-means scholarships. Additionally, SC, ST, Category-1, OBC 2A/2B and PwD candidates receive significant fee concessions under Karnataka state reservation policy. Girl-child scholarships and minority-community scholarships further support eligible candidates.

B.E. admission at GEC Challakere is primarily through the Karnataka Common Entrance Test (KCET) conducted by the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA), followed by KEA online counselling. Candidates must have passed Class XII (PUC-II) with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics and a minimum aggregate of 45% (40% for SC, ST, OBC). KCET is held in April-May each year; KCET scores and Class XII PCM marks are combined 50-50 to compute the final CET merit rank. Seats are allocated through KEA online option entry and multi-round allotment. Management/COMEDK quota applicants apply through COMEDK UGET. Lateral-entry (direct Second Year B.E.) admission is available for diploma-holders through Karnataka DCET.

Candidates must have passed Class XII (PUC-II) or equivalent from a recognised Karnataka or all-India board, with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics as compulsory subjects. Minimum aggregate in PCM is 45% for General category and 40% for SC, ST and OBC candidates. Candidates must be Indian citizens; for the Karnataka Government quota, candidates must satisfy Karnataka state-domicile/nativity conditions (having studied a defined number of years in Karnataka). There is no upper age limit for Karnataka-state CET admissions, though candidates must have passed Class XII within the past few years as per KEA norms. Final admission is subject to document verification at the institute and payment of the applicable fee.

Government Engineering College Challakere is a Karnataka state-government engineering institution established in 2007 by the Department of Collegiate and Technical Education (DCTE), Government of Karnataka. The college is affiliated to Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), Belagavi, and is approved by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). It is one of a network of government engineering colleges set up across Karnataka to expand access to quality engineering education and to serve regional industrial and manpower needs, particularly in central and northern Karnataka districts.

GEC Challakere is located at B.D. Road, Pabbathi Post, Challakere, Chitradurga District, Karnataka 577522, in the Challakere plateau of central Karnataka. The campus spans approximately 25 acres with academic blocks, classrooms and laboratories for all branches, a central library, computer laboratories, separate boys and girls hostels, faculty residences, a sports ground and administrative facilities. The campus benefits from proximity to the Challakere Science City that hosts research and development facilities of DRDO, BARC, ISRO, IISc and IIT Madras extension — supporting industrial visits, guest lectures and internships. Challakere is well-connected by rail and road, approximately 220 km from Bengaluru.

GEC Challakere offers B.E. programmes in Computer Science and Engineering (CSE), Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE), Mechanical Engineering (ME) and Civil Engineering (CE). The approved VTU intake is typically around 60 students per branch, giving a total annual UG intake of approximately 180-240 seats, with a small share of supernumerary lateral-entry seats for diploma-holders added via Karnataka DCET. The curriculum follows the VTU Choice Based Credit System and includes core theory, laboratory practicals, mini-projects, industry internships and a major project in the final year. Faculty-student ratio and laboratory infrastructure are maintained per AICTE and VTU standards.