Karnataka High Court directs KEA not to finalise third round allotment of seats to medical and dental courses for now

The High Court of Karnataka on Wednesday directed the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) not to finalise till October 30 the allotment of seats for medical and dental courses in the third round of counselling based on the provisional allotment list published on October 24.

A Division Bench comprising Justice Jayant Banerji and Justice K.V. Aravind passed the interim order on petitions filed by Chandana M. Chavan and several other students.

Primary grievance

The primary grievance of the petitioners is that less meritorious students, based on their NEET rank, were allotted seats in the provisional list announced for the third round owing to the procedure and the criteria adopted for allotment of seats in the third round of counselling.

The procedure adopted by the KEA, the petitioners have contended, was contrary to that adopted for allotment of all India quota seats in all government colleges across the country and the procedure followed in many States for admission to medical courses, the petitioners have said.

Compelling the students to join the colleges in which they were allotted seats in the second round and not allowing them to participate in the third round against the consequential vacant seats in a few colleges, has resulted in allotment of seats under government quota seats for less meritorious students, who were not allotted any medical seats in the first two rounds.

Students denied chance

The KEA’s procedure also denied a chance for some students, who got a seat with higher fee in private colleges in the second round, to opt for a government quota seat in the third round despite the availability of a seat for their rank as they were not allowed to participate in the third round, the petitioners have contended.