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BENGALURU: Hundreds of aspirants are in a dilemma this year because of the lack of coordination between various agencies. While CET and NEET counselling for engineering and medical seats, respectively, used to be held parallelly every year, it has not been so this time, leaving the decision-making process extremely tough for students and robbing them of chances of a better seat.
Every year, after the first round of engineering counselling, counselling for NEET is held. So students who get medical seats give up their engineering ones, which get back into the seat pool and become available for the second round of engineering counselling. However, this year, with NEET counselling delayed owing to a Supreme Court case, medical students who have written CET are holding on to their seats.
“Usually, by the second round of counselling, a few thousands of seats in good colleges come back into the pool and we get a chance at a better college. However, that is not happening this time and we’re losing out on precious seats,” said a student.
Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has sought the government’s permission to hold a casual vacancy round in January, where these students will get a chance to pick the vacant seats. However, Visvesvaraya Technological University has already released the academic schedule for first year, with classes starting on December 13.
Also, students argue that another round as late as in January will not help. “We cannot afford to wait till January to join a college. Two months of classes will be over by then. VTU is already in a hurry to finish portions on time and said there will be 10 hours of daily classes apart from Saturdays. Professional courses are not easy and children can’t afford to lose so many classes. We’ll have to give up the chance of a better seat, better placement and better future because of this confusion,” said a parent.
Another parent said the seat will come back to the pool if there is an extended round. “…But who’ll wait till then for the seats? None would want to take a chance and will seal seats now. Good seats will go to less meritorious students,” he said.
Terming it unfortunate, another student said the government isn’t doing anything to help students. Various agencies – Medical Counselling Committee, Karnataka Examination Authority and Visvesvaraya Technological University – should have worked together,” said a student.
A former KEA official said it is up to VTU to now provide bridge courses and extra classes for students who join in late. “The higher education department can also make a change in rules by allowing students to take a transfer between colleges after the extended round. This will benefit students. A little coordination is all that is required,” he said.