Fri Nov 15 00:20:00 UTC 2024: ## Karnataka Takes Action to Curb Engineering Seat Blocking Racket

**Bengaluru, November 15, 2024:** The Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) has taken steps to combat a rampant seat-blocking racket in engineering colleges, which has been operating during the 2023 and 2024 Common Entrance Test (CET) counselling.

Following a probe into the issue, KEA has requested the State government to mandate that all vacant government quota seats in private engineering colleges, after the second extended round of counselling, be allocated solely through KEA. This proposal, which includes integrating the clause into the agreements between the state and private colleges, aims to eliminate the incentive for manipulating the system.

KEA also proposes that the COMED-K counselling, conducted by a private organization, should commence only after the first round of KEA counselling. This sequential approach aims to ensure transparency and prevent seat-blocking practices.

“Currently, colleges are handed over vacant seats, which they use to charge exorbitant fees for allotment. This fosters a system where students are cheated and government quota seats are converted into management seats,” said H. Prasanna, Executive Director of KEA.

To prevent this malpractice, KEA has recommended the adoption of the NEET procedure for engineering seat allotment, ensuring that every vacant seat, even if only one, is allocated through the state-run authority.

The investigation revealed that 2,625 students who received government quota seats in the second extended round of CET-2024 counselling failed to join their preferred colleges. This situation deprived other eligible candidates of their deserved seats.

While some students provided reasons like securing a medical seat or a seat outside the state, others were found to have misused their login credentials. An investigation into this misuse led to the discovery that several students, despite not making option entries, were allocated seats in certain colleges. Consequently, an FIR has been registered and a probe is underway.

These measures implemented by KEA aim to ensure fairness and transparency in the engineering seat allocation process, curbing the seat-blocking racket and providing equal opportunities for all eligible candidates.

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