Rule on help centre irks CET candidates

The new rule by Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) regarding helpline centre for seats in under-graduate professional courses has not gone down well with the candidates and their parents.

As per the new rule, aspirants should visit the helpline centre under which their native district falls. For example if a candidate belongs to Bangalore rural district, then he/she must visit the help centre at KEA premises in Bangalore.

The KEA circular (which also lists the help centres) states that, “Candidates should only go to the helpline centre attached to their native district. Native district means the district in which the residential address furnished by the candidate in the CET-2012 application form is located. In case there is more than one helpline centre attached to the native district, the candidate can go to the nearest centre.”

However, candidates and parents wonder what is to be done in case of emergencies? “I am a native of Bangalore urban district and as per the rules I must go to the help centre on KEA premises. But my problem is what if I am at some other district at the time of seat selection due to personal emergencies?” questions Puneeth (name changed), an engineering seat aspirant.

“I actually belong to Kolar district and I have a family function in Mysore right at the time of seat selection. But because of the new rule made, I need to come to Bangalore for help. Frankly speaking I am not expert in using internet. So, help is necessary for me,” said Vinutha (name changed), an engineering seat aspirant. This is the first time KEA has introduced online seat selection process. Till 2011, the counselling process was decentralised and students were allowed to visit any of the counselling centres and select seat.

However justifying the new rule, a KEA official said: “We made this rule mainly to avoid crowding at a particular centre. It will also help the candidates and parents; they can save travelling time and money.”

Thank God, the pact is signed
After a three-month delay, the state government and private professional college managements, finally, signed the crucial consensual agreement for CET 2012, on Tuesday.

Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) had to give in to the managements' demands to resolve the row over unfilled seats, facilitating the signing of the pact.

The KEA had brought in a new rule where unfilled seats will not be handed over to the college managements after the second round of counselling and it will try to fill the seats, drawing the ire of the private institutions. Private managements countered the proposed condition saying that the state government will have to pay the fees if the seats fall vacant, and refused to ink a pact till the issue is resolved.

Finally, the managements won the battle and it has been decided to provide unfilled seats to managements as customary.

Chief minister DV Sadananda Gowda, who is also overseeing the higher education department, greased the wheels and facilitated the signing of the crucial pact.

Last year, the government and college managements sparred over fee structure, seat sharing and delayed the signing of the pact threatening to put the whole process of counselling into disarray.