With a TNEA cutoff of one hundred sixty eight and belonging to the BC category you have a decent chance to secure a seat in engineering colleges that have a relatively lower fee structure in Tamil Nadu Since you are also a first graduate candidate this gives you an additional advantage because first graduate candidates are eligible for certain benefits and concessions such as lower tuition fees in many government and government aided engineering institutions across the state

Government engineering colleges and select government aided institutions have some of the lowest overall fees making it closer to your requirement of approximately one lakh rupees per year including hostel and other charges These institutions generally have a total annual cost ranging from seventy five thousand to one lakh rupees which covers the academic fees hostel accommodation mess charges and other necessary expenses

For example Government College of Technology Coimbatore Alagappa Chettiar Government College of Engineering and Technology Karaikudi and Government College of Engineering Salem have low annual tuition and hostel fees for students admitted through the TNEA counselling process In these institutions the total cost for BC candidates can range roughly between eighty thousand and one lakh rupees per year making them an ideal fit for candidates like you

As a first graduate candidate you can also avail a special fee concession offered by the state which further reduces the overall cost You must make sure to claim this benefit at the time of counselling by submitting the relevant documents including the first graduate certificate and other required proofs This can significantly reduce your overall academic cost making the total annual expense more manageable within your desired range

If you also consider self financing engineering institutions you can find a few options with moderately low fees However in such institutions the total cost including hostel and other charges generally goes beyond one lakh rupees per year making it challenging to fit within your stated budget Government and government aided institutions remain the best option for candidates seeking quality engineering education at low cost

To summarize with a cutoff of one hundred sixty eight in the BC category and being a first graduate candidate your best bet is to secure admission in one of the state run engineering institutions where the total cost including hostel accommodation and other charges can be kept within one lakh rupees per year Be sure to participate actively in the TNEA counselling process review the available options and select a college that meets both your academic interests and financial constraints This approach will help you pursue your engineering degree without straining your budget

Summary
With a TNEA cutoff of one hundred sixty eight and belonging to the BC category you can target state run engineering institutions such as Government College of Technology Coimbatore Alagappa Chettiar Government College of Engineering and Technology Karaikudi and Government College of Engineering Salem These institutions have total annual expenses including hostel and other charges roughly within one lakh rupees making them ideal for candidates like you As a first graduate candidate you can also benefit from additional fee concessions making these options feasible for your engineering studies while aligning with your financial constraints