Second round of CET counselling to be extended

 Higher Education Minister R V Deshpande on Sunday said the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) will extend the second round of counselling to fill up the vacant seats. However, it would not be a third round of counselling.

“It is basically to fill up the vacant seats. There are nearly 8,000 vacant engineering seats. We should give an opportunity to students to take advantage of unfilled seats,” Deshpande told Deccan Herald.

The minister said Visvesvaraya Technological University has informed that the students could be given time till August 5 to report to colleges. “However, we have to also keep in mind the Supreme Court deadline that admissions have to be wrapped up before July 31. We will announce our decision on Monday,” he said.

Fees to be adjusted

Meanwhile, Monday is the last day for students to confirm their admissions for seats allotted in the second round of counselling. KEA officials have asked parents to go ahead with getting admission orders from colleges based on the seats already allotted to them. If they are interested in participating in the extended round and get a seat of their choice, the fees they have already paid in the present college would be adjusted against the new seat.

“Parents can now get the admission orders from colleges. Later, we will transfer the fee to the college allotted in the extended round. They will not lose money. We will not hold back Rs 5,000 or any other part of the fee,” said KEA administrative officer S P Kulkarni.

Comed-K seats preferred

Not willing to take chances, many students have opted for Comed-K seats. Wajahath Parveez, whose daughter was allotted a dental seat in the “tentative” second round of counselling list announced on Thursday. She had lost her seat in revised list announced on Friday! With the uncertainty over another round of counselling, Parveez decided to give up the hopes of a government seat and instead went for a Comed-K seat for his ward. “Earlier, we were not planning to opt for a Comed-K seat. However, the chaos in KEA allotment left us with no choice. I immediately arranged for the money and opted for a Comed-K seat at a cost of Rs 2.53 lakh per year,” he said.

Many parents alleged that private colleges and the government were hand in glove in creating the confusion, benefiting private managements. There has to be an impartial inquiry into the matter. This indicates massive corruption, Parveez said.


BPharm counselling today

The KEA will conduct counselling for admissions to first-year and second-year BPharm (lateral entry) on July 29. Officials said the counselling will be conducted only in Bangalore Helpline Centre. It will take place at the KEA office in Malleswaram in Bangalore. Candidates have been told to get all their original documents at the time of counselling.  
Also, diploma students seeking lateral entry into second-year BE will have to exercise their seat option entry between 3 pm on July 28 and 8 pm on July 30, 2013.