CET counselling second round extended

KEA to upload allotted seat list by 5pm tomorrow

The State government has announced an abridged extension of the second round of counselling for government quota seats, in a bid to fill vacant engineering seats.

The extension round will be condensed to 12 hours. Option entry for the extended round will be open from 10 am to 10 pm on Tuesday.

The Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) will make a quick allotment and upload the allotted seat list by 5 pm on Wednesday.

Before Wednesday midnight, students will be required to pay online CET fees for the seat allotted to them. With this, the government intends to comply with the Supreme Court directions to complete the counselling process by Wednesday.

While candidates hoped for a third round of counselling, it has been decided to extend the second round to fill the vacant seats.

In addition to the 8,776 unoccupied engineering seats in the second round, about 80 architecture seats have been added to the pool, including 40 seats at Srinivasiah Institute of Architecture, Mangalore and 40 seats at Akara School of Architecture, Bangalore.

Those who have secured admission orders based on the second round of counselling will also be allowed to participate in the extended round, according to Principal Secretary of Higher Education Rajneesh Goel.

The fees already paid will be later adjusted if they secure a seat in a different college during the extended round.

However, those who have not confirmed their seats in the second round and wish to participate in the extended round, will automatically lose their second round seat.

Meanwhile, even as the candidates rushed to secure admission orders on Monday, assuming that it was the last day to report to colleges according to the KEA’s earlier directions, the government extended the deadline till August 5, 2013.

The higher education minister, who visited the KEA office in Malleswaram, had a challenging task awaiting him. Hundreds of parents, who had gathered at the venue, jostled to get their numerous queries answered. The minster tried in vain to pacify anxious parents.

 Shortage of staff at the KEA office, which added to the existing crisis, will be attended to for the time being by deputing staff from the Department of Technical Education (DTE).

“I request students and parents not to panic. People at the KEA office and the additional DTE staff will work round the clock to clear doubts,” said R V Deshpande.