Karnataka: Single admission counselling back for medical, dental courses

Bengaluru: Multiple admission counselling for both undergraduate and postgraduate medical and dental courses is set to go with a meeting of private medical colleges and deemed universities called by Medical Education Minister, Dr. Sharan Prakash Patil giving its approval for abolishing the system, here on Thursday.

The minister and representatives of private medical and dental colleges and deemed universities, who were at the meeting, agreed to fill all the seats available in the state, except management and NRI quota seats, through the Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA), going by sources.

With this, the state is all set to return to single admission counselling after a gap of 14 years. Till 2003, the then Common Entrance Test (CET) cell, now renamed the Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA), filled all the professional seats in the state.

A final decision on the single admission counselling and related issues like a multiple fee structure will be taken at the state Cabinet meeting scheduled for Friday, according to official sources. "All the medical and dental seats will be filled based on the NEET UG and PG ranking and the existing admission norms in the state," sources revealed.

Although single admission counseling was also reportedly proposed for admission to engineering colleges, no decision was taken on this at the meeting. While private medical, dental and engineering colleges demanded at least a 10 per cent hike in their fee structure, a decision on this too will be taken by the cabinet, say sources.