The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) is confident that it can convince private professional college managements into agreeing for a single Common Entrance Test (CET) from the next academic year.
The higher education department has invited the private managements for a meeting at the KEA premises on December 11. Official invites have already been dispatched in this regard.
“A meeting has been called for with the private managements to decide on issues like seat-sharing and fee structure for engineering, medical and dental courses for the academic year 2010-11. Though the letter does not mention anything about conducting a common CET, the issue will be discussed at the meeting,” said an official from KEA.
Many colleges which have not invited too have evinced interest inparticipating in the meeting.
“Several colleges have submitted representations, requesting that they be allowed to participate in the meeting. We don’t have provisions to consider such requests,” said the official.
Last year, many engineering colleges had failed to fill up the management seats through the test conducted by the Consortium of Medical Engineering and Dental Colleges of Karnataka (COMED-K). This was the reason behind their representation, said the official.
The department is also planning to hold a preliminary meeting with officials before Friday’s session with the managements.
“The principal secretary has said that the department will conduct a meeting of its officials. It will be conducted either on December 8 or 9,” said an official.
The state government is ready to increase representation for private college managements in the KEA if they agree on a single CET.“The government is ready to admit more representatives of private managements into the board of directors of the KEA,” added the official.
AS Srikanth, principal secretary, higher education department told DNA, “We are approaching the private managements with an open mind and we have not seen their demands yet.”
Comments