SOURCE :- SIASAT NEWS
Bengaluru: Students and parents protested outside the Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) office in Malleshwaram on Thursday, August 27, against the authority’s decision to levy a Rs 5,000 penalty on candidates seeking to cancel seats allotted in the second round of UGCET 2026 counselling.
KEA recently announced the second-round seat allotment results for engineering and other professional undergraduate courses. According to the counselling guidelines, candidates who do not wish to retain their allotted seats and want to participate in the third round must cancel their current allotment by paying Rs 5,000.
The online seat cancellation facility opened on August 27 and will remain available until 3 pm on August 29. Candidates are required to log in to the KEA portal, complete the cancellation process and pay the prescribed amount. Only candidates who cancel their seats within the stipulated period will be eligible for the third round.
Rule angers parents, student
The rule has angered parents and students, who questioned why candidates should be penalised for opting for another counselling opportunity. They said students may receive a seat in a college or course that does not meet their expectations and should have the option of moving to the next round without an additional financial burden.
Parents also pointed out that admission to professional courses already involves substantial expenditure. They said the Rs 5,000 penalty could become a significant burden for families from poor and middle-income backgrounds, particularly when students are yet to secure their preferred college or course.
Protesters urged KEA to withdraw the penalty and reconsider its counselling policy. They said students should be given adequate flexibility to participate in subsequent rounds without being forced to pay an additional amount for cancelling an unwanted allotment.
The admission process has also run into another controversy involving nursing and BPT courses. Students alleged that the Medical Education Department supplied KEA with details of colleges that were not officially registered or had changed their addresses.
Based on the information provided by the department, KEA allotted seats to some of these institutions. Students who received allotments to such colleges have now approached KEA, expressing concern over the validity of their admissions and their academic future.
The issue has raised questions over the verification of colleges before seats are allotted through the counselling process. Students and parents have sought immediate intervention from the authorities to resolve the discrepancies and prevent candidates from being left in uncertainty.
The twin controversies have put additional pressure on KEA to address concerns over its counselling procedures and ensure greater clarity and transparency in the admission process.
SOURCE : SIASAT
