The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has allowed seven students, who were barred earlier, to participate in this year’s Common Entrance Test counselling, following directions from the High Court of Karnataka.
As per its rules, KEA has barred several hundred students from counselling for three years, who secured an engineering seat in CET-2023 but neither got admitted to the said college nor surrendered that seat. However, seven of these students challenged the KEA’s decision alleging they did not even make an “option entry” during CET-2023 counselling. KEA rejected their claim, following which they challenged it in the High Court. The court directed KEA that these students should be allowed to participate in CET-2024 counselling, pending a probe. KEA has now instituted a probe led by its Administrative Officer (AO).
Following this, KEA has now allowed the seven students to take part in CET-2024 counselling on the condition of surrendering their seats with a fee if they are found guilty by the probe.
“If the students themselves have done the option entry last year and got a seat, but are not admitted in the college or if it is confirmed by the investigation that the seat has not been surrendered to KEA, we will withdraw the seat of such students without any hesitation and with a fee,” said H. Prasanna, Executive Director, KEA.
A recurring problem
“The KEA rules are clear on the issue: students should get admitted in the college where they got a seat in the three rounds of seat allotment process. If they do not get the desired course in the college of their choice, they should surrender the seat to KEA and exit from the counselling process. In case, the students neither surrender their seat nor exit from the counselling process, such students will be barred from participating in the CET counselling process for the next three years,” a senior official said.
Hundreds of students who got engineering seats during the CET-2023 counselling, but neither got themselves admitted nor surrendered their seats, have rewritten CET this year and tried to apply for counselling. But they have been barred.
Probe ordered
“The seven students have claimed that since they got low marks in the CET-2023, they decided to write the exam again to improve their marks and did so in 2024. But, on cross-verifying with the KEA data, it was confirmed that those students had made the option entry last time and got a seat in the third round. But, they are arguing that we have not made an option entry,” Mr. Prasanna said.
However, explaining how such a lapse could have happened, Mr. Prasanna said while the entire counselling process is online, some students from rural areas not well versed in handling computers may have given their login credentials to those at cyber centres, where without their knowledge someone may have done option entry for them. “The investigation will look into this aspect as well. We will even file a police complaint if needed,” he said. He also warned students against sharing their login credentials with others.
