After seat-blocking row, KEA wants 2 clauses in agreement with pvt colleges

Bengaluru: All government quota seats, including those that are vacant, should be filled by the KEA and COMED-K should start its admission process only after the former completes the first round of allotment for the KCET quota — these are the two key recommendations made by the examinations authority following the seat-blocking row.

In the report submitted to the principal secretary of the Higher Education department, the KEA wants the government to include the two clauses in the consensual agreement that will be executed with private colleges for KCET 2025 to prevent future frauds.  

Under the existing system and as per the consensual agreement between the state government and the Karnataka Unaided Private Engineering Colleges Association (KUPECA), the seats which go unfilled after the KEA allotment process and those that are opted for by students but who don't report return to the colleges to be filled under the management quota.

The current clause in the consensual agreement reads: "Without reason, professional institutions should admit all the candidates who are allotted by KEA. After casual round of counselling (after second extended round) the KEA shall provide branch-wise vacancy list of available seats and shall handover to the concerned colleges. During the reconciliation and approval, the colleges should provide the list of vacant seats issued by the KEA if available."

An official source from the KEA said if the "government puts these conditions in the consensual agreement itself, it would definitely prevent blocking of seats and help poor meritorious students to get admissions".

Reacting to it, Dr MC Sudhakar, Higher Education Minister said that he is yet to discuss the KEA report. "We have registered an FIR and we will wait for the report from the police to take up the issue before the association for further discussions," the minister said.

Meanwhile, the KEA has registered an FIR with the Malleswaram police, who might forward the investigation to CCB for further inquiry on the alleged seat-blocking scam, where over 2,300-plus seats were returned to the colleges after second extended round by KEA.