India, Nov. 5 -- A government-sponsored programme meant to guide college students in career planning has come under fire after its inclusion in the official university fee structure sparked controversy.

The Career Katta initiative, launched in 2021 by the Kolhapur-based Maharashtra Information Technology Assistance Centre (MITAC) in partnership with the state's Department of Higher and Technical Education, offers online training and workshops in soft skills, entrepreneurship, English communication, and exam preparation.

Initially, the programme operated mainly online with minimal physical presence outside Kolhapur. Colleges were instructed to collect a Rs.365 registration fee per student to implement the initiative.

The controversy esc...