Bangalore, Jun 16, DHNS: The Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) on Wednesday put on hold the entire Common Entrance Test (CET) counselling process for engineering and architecture seats, besides deferring the casual vacancy round selection for medical and dental seats. 

Counselling for engineering and architecture seats was to commence on June 18.

Seat asiprants are in a fix by this announcement, triggered by a late Tuesday evening directive from the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to the State government to stop counselling for 167 engineering colleges pending its approval for these institutions.  

Thanks to the counselling postponement, which has happened for the first time since its inception, the KEA and the Department of Higher Education are now certain that the academic season for the engineering and architecture students entering their first semester is “most likely” to be delayed.

According to a KEA official, 14 other states across the country are also awaiting approval from the AICTE for their respective state-based colleges. As confusion prevailed, Minister for Higher Education Arvind Limbavali categorically stated that the fault lay with the AICTE. The minister is scheduled to meet the Human Resources Development ministry officials on June 18 to discuss the issue.

However, senior examination authority officials said that the deliberations will likely take place after June 30. KEA Executive Director K R Shashidhar told mediapersons that the AICTE was unable to approve any engineering or architecture college since no decision was taken on the  continuation of certain engineering colleges, inclusion of new courses, increase in the intake of students and other related issues.

Besides, AICTE’s request  from individual colleges to furnish additional details has just been processed by the respective institutions.    KEA officials hope that the AICTE will commence discussions on approving the engineering and architecture colleges in the State after June 30, as conveyed to them by the government.

Part of the problem, according to KEA sources, has arisen because of the Human Resource Development Ministry’s drive to clean up and weed out corruption within the AICTE. Some AICTE officials processing the approvals are being eased out and replaced, a move which is causing the delay.

The casual vacancy rounds for all categories, including the NCC, physically disabled and sports category students, have also been suspended. The problem, according to Shashidhar, will have a cascading effect on students who vie for seats in the casual vacancy round.