Mangaluru : KEA, has already, enrolled, more than 2 lakh’s candidates for CET-2016 and collected Rs.650 from each to write entrance test, and all of them are ineligible even to apply, if they have not passed 2nd PUC or XII std or equivalent examination.

Common Entrance Test(CET) is being conducted every year and this year already 2 lakhs candidates have applied and 1,74,175 have also paid fees of Rs.650/- to write the entrance test, for admissions into Professional Courses in Karnataka for the year 2016-17, to be conducted by Karnataka Examination Authority, Government of Karnataka. The last date for fees is extended to February 26, 2016. The test is to be held on 4th and 5th of May this year.

However, according to Government rules framed by itself, none of those who have applied are eligible to take the test this year.

According to, 3 (1) (b) of the notification issued by the Education Secretariat (No. ED 10 TEC 2006) dated February 28, 2006, states that “No candidate is eligible to write CET, if he or she has not passed the second year Pre-University or XII std or equivalent examination, held, preceeding the entrance test (CET).” It means that it is mandatory for each student to complete PUC, even to apply for the CET.

Last year, according to KEA Administrative Officer Gangadaraiah, 1.6 lakhs candidates have enrolled, but this year it is more than 2 lakhs, because of PU repeaters. For this the activists, said every year there are PU repeaters, but how this year the numbers have gone so high, because of ineligible candidates, who been allowed to apply like the last year.

No need for CET?
It is interesting to note, on April 3, 2014, the High Court of Karnataka gave relief to 1,000 students, who got admission into Dental Courses in 2012 without writing CET. In its order, the court observed that if seats available are lesser in number that the aspirant seeking admission, against, those vacant seat – there can be no doubt that without an entrance test, being conducted to gauge the inter-se merit, no admissions can be made. However, if the available seats are more than the candidates, who are otherwise eligible for admissions, the holding of an entrance test to address their inter-se merit would be unnecessary and meaningless. Keeping this observation as a ground, for relief the court gave its order.

Noticing the ‘illegal’ manner in which the CET was conducted, an activist had complained to Minister and Principal Secretary, for Higher Education, Government of Karnataka and since no proper action was taken, a complaint was also filed before the Upa -Lokayukta on June 1, 2015. As a result, the Upalokayukta issued a notice to KEA asking for explanation from KEA. “Even as the proceedings are on in Upalokayukta office, the Government through KEA, has ventured again to conduct CET -2016 in the same illegal manner as 2015,” the activist noted.

Meanwhile, KEA Administrative Officer Gangadaraiah, when contacted told the reporter, that the results of the candidates who write CET will be withheld if he or she fails to complete PU, but if any student clears the PU in supplementary exams, then they too are eligible for seats in engineering colleges, depending on their performance in the CET.

When his attention, was drawn to the notification issued by the Education Secretariat (No ED 10 TEC 2006) dated February 28, 2006, he said “there is no such rule.”

When queried on the necessity of writing CET (referring to High Court order giving relief to 1,000 students, who got admission into Dental Courses in 2012 without writing CET), Gangadaraiah said that it is a government decision and if government wishes, it can do so.

Except for MBBS for all other courses, for the past many years, seats are lying vacant in including engineering. While over 20,000 seats were lying vacant in 2010, 22,000 seats were vacant in 2011, 24,000 seats for 2012, 18,861 seats for 2013, and a whopping 35,400 of the sanctioned 96,379 engineering seats, went a begging in the state according to a news report, for 2015 in engineering streams in Karnataka.

Same tactics adopted for Diploma CET too.
According to an activist, similar dubious tactics are adopted by the Government from 2013 even in conducting CET for diploma student, though, there is no valid reason for it to conduct the test for the few many years. Directorate of Technical Education by a circular, to all the Polytechnics, asked principals to collect a form from all the final year diploma students, that they will take Diploma CET. This is done weeks before the final exams to inflate numbers against seat available. All India Council for Technical Education, in its guidelines published in its handbook, clearly states, that there is no necessity for diploma student to write entrance test. The then CEO of KEA, Rashmi V.Mahesh by a letter dated 1.2.2012, to the government, stating the AICTE guidelines. Accepting it the Government, on May 30th 2012, had passed an order, that diploma students, need not write CET. Almost all the media, including print media, reported the news.

As a classic example of how, the coaching mafia have been prevailing over the government to conduct CET, every year, and in 2012, D.V.Sadanand Gowda, the then Chief Minister and Higher Education Minister set aside the government order made on 30th May not to conduct CET for Diploma and asked the government it. That same year, the coaching mafia, also defied government orders not to conduct CET coaching classes. Bright Coaching centre, Yeyyadi run by wife of a Govt lecturer, in Women’s Polytechnic, Bondel, Mangaluru, had hired, the entire, campus of Karavalli Institute of Technology and Engineering , Neermarga, Mangaluru and went a ahead, in conducting coaching classes, for Diploma CET, for over 950 students. After government order not to conduct CET for diploma students, the students in the coaching classes, revolted in the Neermarga campus and demanded refund of amount collected upto Rs.12,500/- the lecturer. But, according to protesting students, fees was collected, for coaching, accommodation and food and extra fees was also collected for Transportation, according to the protesting students. Though the electronic media and print media carried the students revolt, neither, Government, Visveswaraya Technological University, Directorate of Technical Education, nor AICTE , did never raise, even their eyebrows.

The Government has no justifiable reason, for not recognising the marks obtained by students in second year Pre-University or XII std or equivalent examination, and for no fault of students. In CET there is no minimum marks, that is expected, for one to qualify for merit. According to the activist, KEA itself does not know, whether CET is conducted to give merit or value to the merit, obtained by candidates from the marks in the qualifying exams. Government should be wise enough to ask KEA, to make a merit list from the marks obtained by students in second year Pre-University or XII std or equivalent examination, and give admissions to professional courses. This would save a lot of time and money for the government, since, all the students are assured of their due merit, and a seat in professional courses, chosen by them, and were seats go vacant year after year.

The students and their parents would also save a lot of money and time and need not go through, mental agony send them to CET coaching classes. Further, the students and their parents, will have to get ensured, from the government, that admissions are only given to institutions, that have adequate faculties and proper infrastructure as required by MCI, DCI and AICTE.