Representative image of student writing an exam.
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COMED-K entering its third round of counseling for engineering seats has rang alarm bells among students, as the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA), is yet to complete its first cycle for KCET.
Although COMED-K refunds the fees paid by students if they get a government quota admission through KCET, the foregone seats will go to the managements, causing injustice to meritorious students, who were seeking admissions.
Speaking to DH, a parent said that COMED-K should conduct one more round of counseling or wait for first round seat allotment by the KEA to complete.
“This is clear indication of seat blocking as all the selected seats will go to managements. We requested the authorities to wait for first round results by the KEA to finish their third round, but they have issued the schedule,” said a parent.
As per the schedule, the COMED-K has scheduled the third round counseling from August 26 to 30. The KEA’s real allotment results for the first round itself are scheduled to be announced on
September 1.
“Normally students who freeze seats in COMED-K wait for KCET counseling. If they get a seat at KCET in the college of their choice, they will surrender the seat selected at COMED-K. But now as COMED-K finished first and second round, the students will release the freezed seats only after the first round results of KEA. Thus, all the seats go to management,” explained a principal of a government engineering college.
Meanwhile, parents and candidates have urged the COMED-K authorities to conduct an extended round of counseling.
“At least this year, considering the fact that the KEA’s seat allotment got delayed due to the NEET issue, the COMED-K should schedule an extended round after KEA’s first round results,” said a seat aspirant.
When contacted, Dr S Kumar, Executive Secretary of COMEDK said, “This is an age-old battle. If we wait for KEA to complete the counseling, our member-colleges will lose at least 3,000 seats. If we wait for KEA, then the parents and students will be anxious as it will go till October/November. We have communicated our schedule to the officials of the Higher Education Department.”