The Karnataka government has decided to introduce Common Entrance Test (CET) counseling before NEET-based admissions, a major departure from its long-standing practice of combining the two counseling processes, according to media reports.The decision comes amid ongoing uncertainty following the NEET question paper leak controversy and delays in medical admission schedules across the country.According to media reports, Karnataka Higher Education Minister MC Sudhakar announced the decision after a high-level meeting with officials from higher education and medical education departments along with representatives of private colleges.Under the revised plan, counseling for eight professional programs linked to CET, including engineering courses, will now proceed independently. Admissions to Medical, Dental and AYUSH courses will be done separately after completion of NEET admission process.
Delay in NEET retest forces Karnataka to reschedule counseling schedule.
The delayed NEET timeline made it impractical to continue the common counseling model followed in previous years, the Karnataka government said.With NEET re-examination scheduled for June 21 and final results expected only by July-end or August, officials said halting CET counseling would disrupt the academic calendar of thousands of engineering aspirants.The move signals growing concern among states over the uncertainty surrounding NEET admissions after allegations of paper leaks and examination irregularities have sparked nationwide controversy.Officials said the state could not afford delays in engineering and other professional admissions because of the lengthy admission process in medical.
Karnataka joins Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra in separate entries.
Karnataka is not the only state to change its admission strategy in response to the NEET hurdle. States like Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra have already moved forward with engineering admissions separately after pushing back the NEET counseling schedule.The latest decision reflects a wider shift among states seeking to protect non-medical admissions in the wake of the NEET controversy.
Students are allowed to change streams without financial penalty.
The Karnataka government has also introduced a flexible counseling procedure to ensure that students are not left behind due to delayed medical admissions.Candidates will be allowed to participate in three rounds of counseling for engineering, medical, dental and AYUSH courses, officials said.Under the arrangement, a student who secures an engineering seat through CET but later qualifies for a medical course through NEET will be allowed to shift without penalty.The surrendered engineering seats will be returned to the counseling pool and offered to other candidates during subsequent rounds, officials said.
A full fee refund is promised for students changing courses.
The government has also addressed concerns regarding payment of fees and refunds during the transfer process.Officials said students leaving the engineering program for admission to medical will get a full refund of the fees already paid. Private colleges have also agreed to refund fees when students vacate seats and those seats are reassigned to new candidates.The decision is expected to bring relief to thousands of students and parents dealing with uncertainty over delayed NEET admissions, even as the medical entrance exam controversy continues to cast a shadow over higher education admissions across the country.
