The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has started the counselling for admission to postgraduate medical and dental courses by throwing open the option entry for the same on Wednesday.
Like previous years, the State government is going ahead with the counselling based on its consensual agreement with colleges on seat-sharing. Already delayed, the counselling could not have been postponed further. An order of the Supreme Court stipulates that the government must start the counselling before April 5.
No clarity on 2006 Act
With no clarity yet on the enforcement of the Karnataka Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admission and Determination of Fee) Act, 2006, the State government decided to go ahead with the counselling in order to comply with the apex court order.
If the government enforces the Act, it cannot conduct the counselling as the law does not provide for a consensual agreement on seat-sharing between unaided colleges and the state.
Officials in the medical education department maintained that the government had the option of keeping the postgraduate courses out of the law’s purview, but it had not decided on that.